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Okay, so I saw a comment about people wanting to see inmates on the side of the road. I honestly kind of forgot about this issue since being engaged in other things but thought I'd share.
Are you aware our tax dollars ( A LOT OF MONEY ) is being spent mainly on jailing people who can't pay child support?
Instead of going to our under-supplied schools and new roads, business support, it goes to jailing people who cant pay child support in a job-deprived city/state.
Somewhere around ~80% of the Greenville County Jail ( which now is 2 mid/high rise buildings , being hidden somewhat by folage ) is simply people who could not pay child support, allegedly.
People that didn't offend a real law but were out of work / jobs . Keep in mind South Carolina was the #2 worst place in the NATION to find work just as recent as 2007/2008. Our economy is not up and up as some want you to believe.
Why is this hidden? Simple. A private company/entity allegedly owns the Greenville County Detention Center. They profit HEAVILY from your/my tax dollars. Hundreds per inmate and that's why they are doubling the size of the prison b/c they knew through OBVIOUS market research, No Jobs = No Child Support payments. Simple as that. Easy lock up for 1 year, removing good people from our community and making them a profitable slave.
This effects Black / White / Hispanic, not just one group. It's a VERY SERIOUS issue being swept under the table.
Also, it's not just a privately owned entity issue. In fact, the Family ycourt and the jail pay NUMEROUS multi-million 2nd party servicers ( pyramid scheme ) that pays for campaigns of our politicians . This in turn makes sure they get a percentage % of tax payers money consistently flowing into their own greedy/fat pockets.
This is why when a new multi-millionaire with 'new views' pops up, they will try EVERYTHING to push them out of SC. Dont belive it? Ever asked yourself why Kevin Garnett is not around. He loves his home and had houses here for a while but had to move. Why would one of the highest paid atheltes in sports not have more going on in his home city anymore? Yet he does it in other cities he's played and lived.
How about they tried to find various ways to fine him and badger him for funding numerous summer activies in the community.
Back to the issue:
Few cities would allow this to get away but SC is looked at as uneducated people and Greenville as a politically lazy metro, where a blanket can be kept over the eyes of the community. Most of these companies are owned by people not from here and just carpet-bag the community.
Here's the Whammy about Greenville SC County Jail to me.
1) Why should family tax payers have to pay for anything dealing with another person's decision of 'sex' ? That's what this boils down to. People chose to have sex with a character they cannot control the money of.
While no kid should be left behind, I think there should be a focus on garnishing wages and forcing jobs vs losing man power to prison systems the community can not profit off of. We'd gain more tax money off their jobs for the community instead of losing our own money.
2) The only people these laws effect are those without the money to fight it. I had a friend who's mutli-mil father lost in court to a meth-addict because the Family Court thought they could profit heavily from the percentage of money they keep from his payments. Low and behold, they didn't know his lawyer made him aware of a place to move in the US where he'd be exempt and he pulled all his money and business out of SC. The only thing they could do was try and garnish tax return wages which obvioulsy, rarely / if ever happened.
I need to ask DO you have any sources [s] to back this claim up?
MOST of the time if someone loses their job and cannot afford it they can go before a judge and he will at times allow it to stop till they are back to work [YES I've been in court and heard this from some who lost their job [and have documentation] and nthe judge will wave it till they are back to work.] Only the true dead beats are jailed for it and only because they wouldn't pay in the first place.
I am surprised if this is really true, when I was working in Aiken, SC the county had a great program for inmates that allowed them to work all over, for the government and local businesses. And most of them were incarcerated for nonpayment of child support. I thought it was great, get them working and keep the town running for low wages, win/win.
This may not be the actual case, but I would think that for someone to be jailed, they would have had to have repeatedly, and intentionally, failed to pay child support.
I just don't see how someone who can document that they have been earnestly trying to find suitable work (ex: severely inarticulate people - and there are many here - shouldn't have jobs working with the public in person or via phone) would be jailed, especially if they're otherwise doing what they can to support their child(ren) in other ways. In these cases, I just don't see the purpose in jailing them.
All that would accomplish is giving them a criminal record, which instantly makes it harder for them to find work or housing. A lot of companies automatically disqualify any applicant with a criminal record of ANY kind. By law, they have to accept applications from anyone who applies, but they don't have to hire anyone. And, many employers probably reason that with so many people with clean records in need of jobs, why should they hire someone with a spotty record.
I think that if people in child support trouble were more proactive in dealing with their unemployment fewer of them would end up in jail. But, a lot of people here have defeatist attitudes and are their own worst enemies (that's a whole 'nother topic/thread). The driver's license revocation is just going to make things worse. Most jobs are not on the bus line, and some that are are only partially accessible by bus for second shift workers (they can get there but not home, and it can't be assumed that they'll find a coworker who will give them a ride), and not accessible by bus at all for third shift workers.
We need better solutions, but I don't think they're going to come from the state or federal governments.
Government typically pays inmates pennies on the dollar to make licenses plates or work at hard labor.
Delaware County, OK with a very small inmate population has chain gangs cleaning up roadside areas and parks in the county.
Sheriff Joe in AZ has a new jail, an average inmate population of 5,000 and the only accredited prison High School in America. He is also charged with Animal Control in the County. His inmates care for animals; or go to school and graduate with a high school diploma. Other inmates do other jobs inside and outside the prison. Not all prisoners are on a work release. On the other hand Joe has a very hugh budget and a volunteer posse of nearly 3,000 with every type of tool to work with imaginable. He also had a long career in law enforcement including FBI before he ever wore a Sheriff's badge.
Somewhere between rural OK and AZ is the answer for your counties over crowded jail woes. Low wages and high taxes do not make for a very good marriage. Most states give parents guilty of lax child support wide latitude, and many chances, to atone unless they are guilty of a greater sin. Most states are keenly aware of the employment picture.
This may not be the actual case, but I would think that for someone to be jailed, they would have had to have repeatedly, and intentionally, failed to pay child support.
I just don't see how someone who can document that they have been earnestly trying to find suitable work (ex: severely inarticulate people - and there are many here - shouldn't have jobs working with the public in person or via phone) would be jailed, especially if they're otherwise doing what they can to support their child(ren) in other ways. In these cases, I just don't see the purpose in jailing them.
All that would accomplish is giving them a criminal record, which instantly makes it harder for them to find work or housing. A lot of companies automatically disqualify any applicant with a criminal record of ANY kind. By law, they have to accept applications from anyone who applies, but they don't have to hire anyone. And, many employers probably reason that with so many people with clean records in need of jobs, why should they hire someone with a spotty record.
I think that if people in child support trouble were more proactive in dealing with their unemployment fewer of them would end up in jail. But, a lot of people here have defeatist attitudes and are their own worst enemies (that's a whole 'nother topic/thread). The driver's license revocation is just going to make things worse. Most jobs are not on the bus line, and some that are are only partially accessible by bus for second shift workers (they can get there but not home, and it can't be assumed that they'll find a coworker who will give them a ride), and not accessible by bus at all for third shift workers.
We need better solutions, but I don't think they're going to come from the state or federal governments.
If I were On Top.. Would I want To Give It Up?
And If I were Kept On Bottom, Would I have Time off from Surviving to Fight Such a Battle?
I've had friends move to the US from Canada and go back.. It's true... America's Moral fiber is terrible and separated.. everybody is for themself and the May-Day protests were just a start of what's coming here
This is just ONE CASE of Many Issues in SC
A lot of this is reaching BUT it's truee ... just depends how deep people want to dig
They do have a work release program for men and women who owe child support (non-violent criminals only). I hired a few in the recent past.
Any idea how much of what you were paying for those Inmates was actually going to the inmates account? The last time I had experience with this was back in 09 and it was about 1.87 per hour. Hardly what I would call "work release" when the child support meter is running the whole time. This is just a blatant example of the corruption that is happening in greenville county. I only wish I new who's pockets are getting lined so lushly through all of this....legalized slavery anyone?
work-release is available on a VERY LIMITED scale compared to "Population". Keep in mind , we're talking about a state where Employment opportunities are VERY BAD and education is Just as Bad.
I think we have to cater to what the REALITY of the state is before it gets better. I dont know. I feel people in Greenville too often fabricate 'what could / should / would' be instead of first working with what is
OMG Yesssssss! The rose colored glasses in the entire upstate area are so thick it makes you wonder how they can see at all!
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