Examining the relationship between incarceration and child support arrears among low-income fathers

McLeod, Branden A.; Gottlieb, Aaron

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.09.022

Cited by 16 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Studies of all types found that between 66%–92% of people who have been incarcerated have child support debt (Nagrecha et al, 2015 ; Pearson & Davis, 2003 ; Pleggenkuhle, 2018 ; Roman & Link, 2015 ). This is twice the rate of child support debt among people with child support orders who have not been incarcerated (McLeod & Gottlieb, 2018 ; Thoennes, 2002 ). Having low income and being non-white is associated with higher levels of child support debt (McLeod & Gottlieb, 2018 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Women who are incarcerated are more likely to have been unemployed and/or receive public assistance prior to incarceration and, therefore, to struggle to manage expenses (Swavola et al, 2016 ). Child support obligations of people who have been incarcerated are known to create barriers to employment and ability to meet basic needs or provide for family members, and can result in strained family relationships and higher recidivism rates (Cammet, 2006 ; Cancian, Meyer, & R., 2018 ; Holzer, Offner, & Sorensen, 2005 ; McLeod & Gottlieb, 2018 ; Roman & Link, 2017 ; Smoyer, Blankenship, & Macintosh, 2009 ; Zatz, 2016 ). After release, debts may be incurred to cover costs related to community supervision, drug testing and mandatory treatment costs, as well as general living expenses, particularly given difficulties finding employment (Keene, Rosenberg, Schlesinger, Guo, & Blankenship, 2018 ; Subramanian, 2015 ).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Debt, Incarceration, and Re-entry: a Scoping Review

et al. 2020

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People involved with the criminal justice system in the United States are disproportionately low-income and indebted. The experience of incarceration intensifies financial hardship, including through worsening debt. Little is known about how people who are incarcerated and their families are impacted by debt and how it affects their reentry experience. We conducted a scoping review to identify what is known about the debt burden on those who have been incarcerated and their families and how this impacts their lives. We searched 14 data bases from 1990 to 2019 for all original research addressing financial debt held by those incarcerated in the United States, and screened articles for relevance and extracted data from pertinent studies. These 31 studies selected for inclusion showed that this population is heavily burdened by debt that was accumulated in three general categories: debt directly from criminal justice involvement such as LFOs, preexisting debt that compounded during incarceration, and debts accrued during reentry for everyday survival. Debt was generally shown to have a negative effect on financial well-being, reentry, family structure, and mental health. Debts from LFOs and child support is very common among the justice-involved population and are largely unpayable. Other forms of debt likely to burden this population remain largely understudied. Extensive reform is necessary to lessen the burden of debt on the criminal justice population in order to improve reentry outcomes and quality of life.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Debt, Incarceration, and Re-entry: a Scoping Review

et al. 2020

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“…Debt accumulation can occur when they are unable to obtain adequate employment to pay down child support orders routinely, and expanding their social networks may be a pathway to better employment (Pate, 2016). It is pertinent to consider that both cash and in‐kind support received from noncustodial parents often benefit their children's social and economic well‐being (Grall, 2013; McLeod & Gottlieb, 2018). Although important, this does not necessarily highlight and address the relationship challenges expressed by many unmarried and separated parents' efforts and determination to jointly support and raise their children.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Hello group, I need advice”: A Textual Analysis of Black Fathers' Help‐Seeking Posts on Facebook

McLeod

2020

Family Relations

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Objective To explore the types of advice and help that Black fathers seek from one another on a Facebook group dedicated to fathers. Background Research demonstrates that Black men are less likely to seek help from formal supports when dealing with life stressors. Informal supports, such as social networks, can help facilitate access to formal support services. Parents use social media for social support; yet a dearth of research exists that explores how Black fathers use social media for social support. Methods A keyword search for “advice” amassed 137 Facebook posts generated by 134 fathers. An inductive textual analysis assisted in interpreting fathers' posts to explore prominent themes. Results Eighty percent of all posts addressed five dominant themes for advice, including family expansion, financial matters, maternal gatekeeping, navigating family relationship conflict, and raising children and child development. Conclusion This study finds that Black fathers' express their strengths to one another and present nuanced familial challenges via social media. Implications Formal service systems should consider supplementing existing services and encourage virtual and informal social support networks. Informal and virtual social support networks could be convened and moderated by fathers in a grassroots format.

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“…Empirical studies find that fathers with a history of incarceration are less likely to provide any economic support to young children (Washington, Juan, and Haskins 2018;Geller, Garfinkel, and Western 2011), and those who do contribute provide a lesser amount (Geller, Garfinkel, and Western 2011). Similarly, fathers with a history of incarceration are more likely to have accrued child support arrears-debt associated with nonpayment or underpayment of formal child support (Turner and Waller 2017;McLeod and Gottlieb 2018;Katzenstein and Waller 2015). A portion of this debt may be owed to the state to reimburse welfare costs, and may include Medicaid birthing costs, interest, and other fines and fees.…”

Section: Inca Rcer Ation a Nd Fathers ' Contribu Tions To Childrenmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This association reflects the economic vulnerability of these fathers and their precarious place in the formal economy, as demonstrated by many of the articles in this issue. Incarcerated fathers lose wages and employment opportunities and often accrue arrears during their incarceration (Western and Pettit 2005;McLeod and Gottlieb 2018). This economic impairment continues well after release.…”

Section: Inca Rcer Ation a Nd Fathers ' Contribu Tions To Childrenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Providing After Prison: Nonresident Fathers’ Formal and Informal Contributions to Children

Emory¹,

Nepomnyaschy²,

Waller³

et al. 2020

RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences

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a llIson dw y er emory , len na nepomn yasch y , m aur een r. wa ller , da n Iel p. mIller , a nd a lex a ndr a h a r a l a mpoudIs Incarceration among young, minority, economically disadvantaged men is pervasive in the United States and can impair their employment prospects. Because many of these men are fathers, incarceration also has serious implications for their ability to support their children. This article investigates the associations between incarceration and nonresident fathers' cash and in-kind contributions to their children's household economy. It then examines whether policies intended to protect employment opportunities mitigate the potential costs of incarceration for nonresident fathers' economic support of their children. Using longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study and new state policy data, we find that paternal incarceration reduces formal and informal support and that some policies offset the incarceration penalty, but clear differences by fathers' race emerge.

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Examining the relationship between incarceration and child support arrears among low-income fathers

Cited by 16 publications

References 58 publications

Debt, Incarceration, and Re-entry: a Scoping Review

Debt, Incarceration, and Re-entry: a Scoping Review

“Hello group, I need advice”: A Textual Analysis of Black Fathers' Help‐Seeking Posts on Facebook

Providing After Prison: Nonresident Fathers’ Formal and Informal Contributions to Children

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