disincentives to pay incarceration is considered “ voluntary unemployment ”
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Disincentives to Pay Incarceration is considered “ voluntary unemployment ” Child support accrues to high levels during a non-custodial parent ’ s jail or prison term 40-55% of wages may be garnished Low-wage workers may choose not to work as a result. Some Facts - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
Disincentives to Pay
Incarceration is considered “voluntary unemployment”
Child support accrues to high levels during a non-custodial parent’s jail or prison term
40-55% of wages may be garnished
Low-wage workers may choose not to work as a result
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
Some Facts650,000 persons are released from State/Federal facilities
7 million are released from local jails
Most will be rearrested in 3 years
55% of all ex-offenders are parents
Over 10 million children have parents who were incarcerated at some point in their lives
Few human service agencies have integrated programs to serve the whole family
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
Some Questions
Should Welfare, Child Support, and Prison Re-entry Programs Be Better Coordinated?
Do We Understand How They are Related?
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
Typical Scenario
Low-income male non-custodial parents*
Average age = 28 years old68% have a felony and are on parole or probation48% lack a diploma or GED53% drive regularly but only 18% have a valid license2% carry auto insurance
*Welfare-to-Work program data (1999-2003)
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
Out of the economic mainstream15% unemployed (looking for work)40% not in labor force (not even looking for work)No tax-paying job longer than 3 months in past yearWorked in underground economy or engaged in criminal activities to make ends meet in the past yearCarries an average debt of $18,000 (mainly child support)82% can’t open a bank account due to writing bad checks
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
Child Support Caseload Trends #1In 2003, the child support program served 17.6 million children
Half of poor children have parents who live apart from them, making them potentially eligible for child support
Almost 85 percent of child support-eligible families with incomes below the federal poverty level participate in the child support program
Nearly two-thirds of families participating in the child support program are current or former cash assistance recipients under TANF
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
Child Support Caseload Trends #2In 1980, 85 percent of families participating in the child support program were current recipients of cash assistanceBy 1996, when Congress replaced AFDC with TANF, 38 percent of families were current assistance recipientsIn 2003, just 17 percent of families in the child support caseload were current assistance recipients. Today, the largest group of families participating in the child support program is former welfare recipients
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
What DOC is Doing #1Instituting a comprehensive case management system
Individualized treatment and services for each offender that begins at intake
Regularly reviewed and updated Continues throughout release to parole
Pilot program to secure BMV-issued state identification cards at no cost to the offender prior to release from correctional facility
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
What DOC is Doing #2
Pilot program to establish a WorkOne center in the correctional facility
Pilot program to pay rental deposit and rent subsidies of up to 100% for a period of up to 18 months
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
Blueprint to End Homelessness
City of Indianapolis is Project Sponsor for Transitional Jobs project
There is a link between an overtaxed criminal justice system and providing supports to homeless populations
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
Blueprint to End Homelessness
Housing First
Housing Plus – services to support housing retention and self-sufficiency where appropriate
Access to mainstream resources
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
Blueprint Recommendations:
• Reduce the number of former criminal offenders in the homeless population and ensure that increasing numbers of people leaving incarceration achieve stable housing and employment
• Focus services on offenders most at risk of becoming homeless or reoffending
• Educate the community about reintegration challenges faced by people leaving incarceration and the benefits of enhancing services for returning offenders
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
Re-entry Recommendations Increase collaboration between corrections, welfare and child support agenciesInclude child support education and parenting skills as a part of prison programmingDo not suspend driver’s license as a first-level punishmentUpon release, child support debt should be manageable, and releasing authorities should be aware of potential legal repercussions for failure to pay child supportReward responsible behavior
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
Current EnvironmentChild support a welfare cost recovery mechanism
under current rules
Child support intercepted by the State for TANF
recipients (no pass-through)
Interception continues after TANF ends until total
cost of cash benefits is recovered
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
Child Support Retainedto Repay TANF Families
Total Collection-- All Child Support
Collected for Current and
Former TANF2004 $442.6 mill $102.6 mill2002 $430.2 mill $ 84.4 mill
Retained collections for
current and former TANF families
State share of collections for
current and former TANF
families2004 (est.) $27.7 mill $10.5 mill2002 (actual) $26.8 mill $10.2 mill
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
Alternative Uses of Indiana’s Child Support Incentive Payments
Besides TANF block grant, Indiana receives incentive payments for its welfare cost recovery
Indiana’s 2002 incentive = $5,564,581
Investing a small portion of these funds in Transitional Jobs programs would pay great dividends
Transitional Jobs Programs would: Significantly increase child support collections Maximize federal incentive payments
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
A Solution
Transitional JobsAn incubator for people who need meaningful work experience in order to enter the labor market and to participate in civil society—re-building the work muscleA service-enriched environment offering work supports and related services to promote work attachmentA pipeline of able workers for local businessA response to Mayor’s workforce development strategy outlined in Blueprint to End Homelessness
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
Transitional Jobs AdvantageWork attachmentWorkplace mediation Long-term retention management services (one year)Emphasis on paying child support (responsibility)Limited cash assistance with “work supports” (reward)
– Rent & Utilities – Transportation– Vehicle Insurance – Uniforms – Vehicle Repairs – Legal Services– Driver's License Re-instatement
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
Indianapolis Transitional Jobs Project“Remaking Our Resources”
One of seven sites selected in a national competition to launch transitional jobs projectsSponsored by the Mayor’s OfficeGuided by a Planning Team of 20 community stakeholders Located in the Enterprise Zone
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
How Work PaysBenefits to Court System
Lighter dockets Lower jail costs
Benefits to CommunityIncreased child support More taxes paidLess burden on safety net servicesFamilies re-united
2005 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development
Improving Child Support Enforcement Through Transitional Jobs
For a copy of this presentation, please visit:Workforce, Inc. www.work-force-inc.com
For other partner resources:
Choices, Inc. www.choicesteam.org
City of Indianapolis www.indygov.org
CLASP www.clasp.org