Should Murder Suspect Pay Child Support from Jail?
Here’s another idiotic aspect of the child support system–demanding that incarcerated obligors continue to make child support payments even though we know they have no income and no ability to pay. Then, when they’re released, they’re several thousand dollars behind on child support (with interest on overdue payments added), and are subject to arrest or driven underground. This problem has now been recognized by the Justice Department and Hillary Clinton actually addressed it during her campaign–to learn more, see my co-authored column New Justice Department Report´s Recommendations Could Reduce Prisoner Recidivism (Chicago Sun-Times, 10/26/07). Usually the above scenario applies to low-income minority men incarcerated as part of the asinine War on Drugs. In the case below, the charges are far more serious–murder. Nonetheless, it is still stupid and unfair to continue the man’s child support obligation. If he’s convicted, he’ll be in jail the rest of his life, so the obligation is i
