Procedural Justice-Informed Alternatives to Contempt (PJAC)

Current as of:

In September 2016, OCSE awarded Section 1115 grants for the PJAC project (PDF) to five state child support agencies in Arizona, California, Michigan, Ohio, and Virginia, and awarded a grant to Georgia to manage the evaluation (PDF) of the project.

The five-year demonstration project will allow grantees to examine whether incorporating procedural justice principles into child support business practices increases reliable child support payments. The goals are to increase reliable payments, reduce arrears, minimize the need for continued enforcement actions and sanctions, and reduce the inappropriate use of contempt.

Approaches to Child Support Nonpayment

Compares the benefits and costs of using PJAC versus business-as-usual child support services.

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PJAC Impact One Year After Enrollment

Uses administrative data to describe PJAC's effectiveness at improving parents' payment and debt outcomes.

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PJAC Video Series

In these short videos, PJAC professionals describe how applying the five procedural justice principles—helpfulness, understanding, respect, voice, and neutrality—helps them provide better child support services to parents.

Top PJAC Resources

Peer Learning Sites

In August 2020, OCSE invited child support agencies to integrate procedural justice principles into their child support procedures. Below are Child Support Report articles from the participating sites.

Provides a series of research briefs that share lessons learned from the Procedural Justice-Informed Alternatives to Contempt (PJAC) demonstration project

Podcasts

 

DOJ resources to reform practices for assessing ability to pay as part of enforcement efforts to collect fees and fines

An organization designed to improve relationships and increase trust between minority communities and the criminal justice system

Provides a link to the Center for Court Innovation, advancing procedural justice through programs, research, and assistance