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Five Father’s Days in Jail for Deadbeat Dad
A judge has come up with a creative way to solve the deadbeat parent situation: he sentences dads to Father’s Days in jail for not paying child support. Moms who don’t pay up get consecutive Mother’s Days in the slammer.
Judge James Flannery of Warren County, Ohio, says jail overcrowding makes it hard for him to enforce lengthy sentences, so he came up with this alternative.
He just tested it out on one deadbeat dad who spent thirty-five days in jail after skipping out on more than $17,000 in child support and being brought back by U.S. Marshal’s to face sentencing. He will return to jail this June and for four more Father’s Days after, plus face five years probation.
Flannery told theMiddletown Journal, “Some people think of it as a gimmick, but I just try to say ‘focus on why you’re in jail today and why you don’t get to spend Father’s Day out of jail’ because you are not a very good father.”
Considering the parents get out of jail only to have to return again and again, it should have a lasting effect. But he’s right – it is kind of gimmicky. If a parent doesn’t care enough to pay up based on the ties that bind, will the significance of the day change anything?
Image: notsogoodphotography via flickr
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4 Comments
Samsmomma commented on Nov 11 09 at 11:16 amI like this punishment. When i was in my early twenties I dated a few men who had fathered children that they rarely saw and didn’t always pay for (my bad taste in men was eventually resolved!). Despite their shortcomings, these guys ALWAYS saw themselves as wonderful dads. Putting these guys away for fathers day might make them take a closer look at whether they really deserve to think of themselves as good fathers.
brokemom commented on Jan 07 10 at 6:36 pmWhat about the fathers who have lost their jobs and child support will not lower their monthly payments? What about those fathers whose driver licenses have been suspended because they were laid off and can’t get another job because it requires a valid license? My husband is being treated like a criminal because we have no money. We are defaulting on all our credit cards and will have to give up our house, and the state wants to put him in jail because he cannot AFFORD his payment to his other children. I get it, every kid deserves the support from two parents. But when my husband is in jail because we have no money, what happens to OUR son?
Rebecca commented on Jan 31 10 at 6:59 pmBrokemom, how does a driver’s license get suspended because someone was laid off? Did you mean that his license got suspended and then he got laid off because of it?
Shirley commented on Jun 19 10 at 5:20 amI as a mother think that the whole sentencing in child support for those who go to jail for is stupid. How are you going to let someone try to pay child-support when there locked up. You have no success in getting anything out that person but free money to the jails and staff itself. I think Obama needs to review this judges ruling, not only flannery, but to all the judicial branch. As a mother again, it’s useless putting people in jail for childsupport when it’s only costing our nation in debth to even deal with the situation. I would definitely address this to Congress if anyone was smart enough.
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