“It makes no sense that men go to jail for not paying child support”, so says legislator José Roberto Rodríguez in presenting a bill that would see the government lend the money to those who cannot pay and avoid going to prison.
The legislator for the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) explained that the idea is for the government to make the payment, like a loan, and then get paid back over time.
According to records of the Poder Judicial, in the second of half of 2012, 17.756 complaints of delinquent child support were received.
I hope that this legislation is approved. It makes no sense to jail guys for non-support (if they really don’t have the resources) when letting violent offenders walk due to prison overcrowding, because they certainly can’t earn money for support while in jail. Of course, some guys really have resources but simply don’t set their priorities right. I hope, but doubt, that this bill requires full financial disclosure by non-supporting parents, as well as investigation into hidden assets (e.g., companies controlled by the parents), before these “loans” are given out. I also hope, but doubt, that there will be close monitoring of payments and arrears, and prompt action against people who don’t repay the loans. Further, I hope that the repayments include a modest fee to pay for the monitoring and enforcement.