Data for: Child Support Adjudication: New York, California and Florida, 2015-2019

<h3>Project Overview</h3>
<p><i>Prisons of Debt: The Afterlives of Incarcerated Fathers</i> examines the criminalization of child support and its consequences for indebted fathers and their families. It analyzes the intersections of two of the largest, most punitive state systems in the U.S. &endash; the child support and criminal justice system &endash; and documents how they work together to shape poor men’s parenting. Based on direct observation of over 1,200 child support cases across the U.S., it ventures into this legal arena and exposes the miscarriages of justice that can rob disadvantaged fathers of their rights as citizens and as parents. Through interviews with 145 formerly-incarcerated fathers, the book also traces the cycles of punishment and debt that can end up undermining parental and familial wellbeing. Prisons of Debt concludes by making a strong case for the inclusion of child support in criminal justice reform policies and politics.</p>

<h3>Data Overview</h3>
<p>These data were collected over a four-year period of ethnographic observation in child support courts in three US states: New York, California, and Florida. They are part of a larger project on the relationship between criminal justice and child support adjudication.</p>

<p>The data are comprised of field notes of the more than 1,000 distinct child support cases observed by the PI. They consist of three large files, with each covering one state studied. The cases catalogued by state and county. For each case, the contours of the hearing are described, including the case type, race/ethnicity of parents, and a summary of the court proceedings. </p>

<p>All data have been de-identified, as per agreements with the courts observed. No names were used to denote judges or parents &endash; and pseudonyms were used when necessary, in only a few instances.</p>