June 27, 2023

When I was arrested I had a few thousand dollars in child care receipts and no child support obligation enforced by the state. I eagerly paid child care, medical, dental, and food costs for my children. Perhaps about eight months in to my incarceration I was in court facing allegations of being a dead beat, non-contributing father to my three kids. Even though I disputed the allegations the guardian ad litem, appointed by the court to supposedly represent my kids' interest in the proceedings, never spoke with me and the court assigned full custody to my kids' mother and established a child support obligation and arrears based solely on the claims by my children's mother. Without any income, support obligations accrued while I remained in custody for more than two more years without any income.

Today I went to family court, now having been wrongfully convicted, to have the obligation adjusted accordingly. When I went to court, I mean that I walked down to the classification department and sat in a tiny booth with a glass door where a shelf held upon it an old style phone with which to participate in the proceedings. I explained to the court that the previous order was made on bad information. My children's mother then espoused more false information to which I was permitted to respond only to be met by her shouting over me. It worked, to minimal benefit. It prevented me from being able to tell the court important information but the inevitable reality is that inmates in maximum security institutions can only make 15-47 cents per hour and are forced to switch jobs every two years to allow other inmates opportunity. I am bothering to write about it because something happened today, at all, and because a few things happened to note. The lies and yelling over me I expected.

What I heard, also, was that here is some other obligation she is collecting from another person every month. Also, she tried to have an amount set based on the fact that money is being raised charitably for an appeal. The other obligation must come from a person with work release at a lower level security institution. She also has an eye on the money being raised and is evidently looking for a means of acquiring that as well.

The court elected to maintain a $25 per month obligation toward arrears to "hold open" the obligation or account or something. They said $25 was "the magic number," is why. So, eventually, when I get to work in here, and when I work my way to 47 cents from 15 cents per hour, restitution will take 50% and child support will then take two and a half weeks of remaining wages to try to satisfy. That is a best case scenario. Maybe I am stick or stupid but I would still do it just to do anything for my kids before I do nothing.

​The most ridiculous part about court was my children's mother insisting there is money somewhere because when my family would put money on my books I would send $20 a month to try to make some contribution to my kids. Someone else identified the money as having been released from the Kenosha jail from my account showing my effort to make any difference to my kids lives. Although my kids' mother scoffed at it being less than $7 per child, and I am embarrassed at how little I can do to help them, I will always look for ways to help my kids. I shouldn't be in here and the best way to help will be to come home, but until then, I need to get to my regular joint and apply for work.