Jail Time for People Not Paying Child Support

The Pulaski County jail is seeing hundreds of inmates who haven't committed a crime, they just haven't paid up.

Deputies are noticing a huge increase in the number of civil warrants issued for people late on their child support payments.

Sheriff's deputies say it's a combination of reasons. In a tough economy, more people coming up with empty pockets. But deputies say judges also seem more likely now to resort to this measure to collect money owed for kids.

"It is a very serious matter," Lt. Marsha Haley.

Lt. Haley heads the civil warrants division of the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office.

She and her deputies - actively search for the hundreds of people who've fallen far behind on their bills.

"It's quite a task we get a lot of people that are as frustrated as we are, that we can't pick up everyone at once."

In recent years, the number of people with active civil warrants, mostly for delinquent child support payments, has doubled from approximately 150 two years ago to 300 now.

The "body attachments," as they're known, require a person to be held in jail until they can answer to a judge.

Even though her department is now strapped - Lt. Haley says the warrants can be an effective way to get people to pay up

"This society is not going to approve, will not condone someone who is not going to take care of their children," said Lt. Haley.

Deputies say they arrest upwards of a dozen people every week on these kinds of warrants

At $52 a day, taxpayers foot the bill for their stay in jail.