NCJ Number
191136
Journal
Criminal Law Update Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: 2001 Pages: 21-23
Date Published
2001
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article discusses using child support payments as a term of probation.
Abstract
Since Spring 2001, a judge and the Texas Attorney General have joined forces to tie conditions of probation in misdemeanor court convictions to up-to-date child support payments. The collaboration allows the court's probation officer to access the Texas Child Support Enforcement database of more than one million cases. The program has recovered almost $20,000 in back payments and forwarded the money to the attorney general's office for distribution. An additional $35,000 in support payments has been ordered through amended probation papers. The program does not interfere with other payment plans and does not fold in parents who have their wages garnisheed. Within the next year, the Attorney General's office will be able to start tracking delinquent parents through their bank accounts. Counting children and parents, approximately four million Texans are involved in collecting and receiving child support. The article claims that bringing those payments up to date might keep some families from going on public assistance.