PARENT'S RIGHTS NOW!

SOUTH CAROLINA PARENTS' RIGHTS LEGISLATION

S. 640 would require that the counseling and therapy records for minor children be open to both parents equally. There are those that do not think this legislation is needed because counseling and therapy records are already available to the non-custodial parent under the current statute. But, in any case, those who sponsored this Amendment have not made it a legislative priority, so it does not look like it will pass this year.

ONCE FAMILY COURTS AND THE SHERIFFS' OFFICES JOIN THE TRANSPARENCY MOVEMENT THE JIG IS UP

South Carolina Representative Nathan Ballentine recently reported on his Blog Town of Irmo joins transparency movement. Along these lines, The Summerville Journal Scene reported Town monthly budget figures now online. On-line posting of this type of information should improve accountability and transparency. And once the Family Court and the Sheriff's Offices join the Transparency Movement the jig is up. The public will then know exactly how those slush funds, fines, and fees are being spent.

GOVERNOR SANFORD NOW BEING PUBLICLY BLAMED FOR THE MESS AT DSS

According to The end of civility?:

[State Senator] McConnell criticized Sanford for being weak on job creation, a duty of the state Commerce Department, and for other failures of leadership.

“Recent experience with another Cabinet agency, the Department of Social Services, has proven that placing an agency under your direct supervision is hardly a pathway to success,” McConnell wrote.

“There are continuing problems with DSS which have cost our taxpayers nearly $80 million in fines paid to the federal government over the past decade, a fact you did not mention in your letter,” the letter stated.

McConnell was citing a long-unresolved problem with DSS’ computer system that oversees the state’s child-support system and has drawn federal fines.

As we have written before, we cannot say that we agree that the problems at DSS are solely the fault of Governor Sanford. However, we have to admit that his administration has had ample time to address the problems associated with the computer system as well as the associated problems of the New Hire Registry. Certainly, he has been made aware of these problems.

The Charleston Post and Courier reported today that Charleston County is ready to borrow $60M "to help finance the county's new prison and dispatching center, which could result in a small property tax increase." Once again, we suggest that there may be a better way.

Click here to access the South Carolina Noncustodial Parent's Application for Child Support Services. We are not sure that this service is of much help to anyone because, even if DSS determines that a noncustodial parent is entitled to a child support reduction, the noncustodial parent will not be provided with an attorney to make the application for that reduction. In the meantime, DSS's lawyers will enforce the Order of Support on behalf of the custodial parent.

So you noncustodial parents--Good luck in either going up against DSS unrepresented by counsel or in explaining to the Court how you have money to pay a lawyer, but no money to pay your child support.

Times are tough and going to get tougher for many noncustodial parents. As Timmy Mallard, son of long-time Family Court Judge Bobby Mallard said, "For so many people, careers in real estate are no longer a viable way to provide for one's family." We may soon see the jails filled with men who used to be in the real estate, construction, and automobile businesses.

In today's issue of the Charleston Post and Courier, an article notes "And there's a heated discussion going on about whether to delay the opening of the county's new $101 million jail by several months to delay hiring guards" which would save the County $2 Million. Our views on this topic were expressed here and here. It gives us no pleasure to write that nothing much seems to have been done to address this problem in the two years subsequent to our posts. Surely, some government entities are making a profit on the expensive practice of jailing people for petty offenses. So the question needs to be asked again, WHO IS BENEFITING FROM THE INCARCERATION OF "DEADBEATS?"

The Federal Marshall's Safe Surrender Program is touted as a "unique, creative, and highly successful, initiative that encourages persons wanted for non-violent felony or misdemeanor crimes to voluntarily surrender to the law in a faith-based or other neutral setting...[which] offers individuals with felony and misdemeanor warrants the ability to turn themselves in to law enforcement and have their cases adjudicated in a safe and non-violent environment."

Last week, this program "resulted in more than 400 people turning themselves in at a Wilmington (Delaware) church in the first two days of the four-day effort to get wanted fugitives off the streets." And last July, this program was implemented in South Carolina.

This program appears to be very effective. Therefore, we would like to see similar programs implemented for "Deadbeat" parents so that they too can come out of hiding, "turn themselves in to law enforcement and have their cases adjudicated in a safe and non-violent environment." 70,000 parents in hiding and ever-increasing child support arrearages in South Carolina is testament to the fact that the system is "broken into pieces" and that new approaches have to be considered.

The Associated Press has reported "A former sheriff accused of running a small-town jail where some cells did not lock and some inmates openly took drugs and had sex with female guards has died. Montague County authorities said the ex-sheriff, Bill Keating, who was awaiting sentencing for coercing a woman into sex to avoid jail, died after collapsing at home."

It never ceases to amaze us how long this type of jail scandal and this type of scheme can proceed undetected. It just emphasises the need for prison reform and increased oversight, particularly on the county jail level.