The History of the Child Support Crackdown: Memphis, 1983. 🏛️📜 This vintage archival footage show

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]How are you barely making it? Where you getting the money to barely make it?

[00:00:04]Uh right now I'm just living with my mother.

[00:00:06]Mothers are wonderful institutions. They support little children and grown men.

[00:00:11]This is like a long history. I've been down here time and time again. Each time uh supposed to get some money for this lady's child. He doesn't do anything. The only thing we have is promises.

[00:00:24]And we never seem to get any money out of it.

[00:00:38]says apparently never paid anything through the court for the past year. Mr. Clements, you're $2,600 behind.

[00:00:45]Where do you work?

[00:00:46]I work for Hurst Manufacturing.

[00:00:49]I've been out there about 4 or 5 months.

[00:00:51]I was out of work for 3 months this spring. I was out of work for over 3 months last fall.

[00:00:58]I haven't had the money. Are you working now?

[00:01:00]>> Yes, sir. And I haven't had the money.

[00:01:02]>> Yes, sir. How much money did you bring today?

[00:01:04]How much money did I bring today? How much do you have in your pocket? I don't know. I got a little over $100. I just gave her $30. For rearage?

[00:01:11]Your payments increase from $50 to $70 semi-monthly on a catch-up plan until you pay off the balance. Could I ask a question, please? Yes.

[00:01:19]How long will that send me to jail for?

[00:01:20]$300? You have the keys to the jailhouse door in your pocket.

[00:01:24]You'll stay there until you pay $300.

[00:01:28]Child support is not child's play here in Memphis. Judge Turner believes in jail. The jails are called Turner's Tanks, and a litany of hard luck and hurt feelings won't stay the sentence.