Alleged father in Prison? DNA Testing on Inmates

14 Aug 2017

DNA testing in prison is not as straightforward as if the alleged father where not in prison. Paternity testing is highly accurate and is the standard and most accurate means of knowing whether a putative father is actually the biological dad of a child.

What do I Need to Consider for DNA Testing in Prison if the Alleged Father is Behind Bars?

It does happen; a woman needs to prove who the father of her child is, but he is in jail. Getting samples for the DNA Paternity Test is made harder.  She can be sure that the man in jail is the father however, the first issues that should come to mind are:

•    What are the alleged father’s financial means? If you are seeking child support this is an issue. A man in jail has no income and will not be getting a job until out of prison (and even then, it may prove hard). Unless he has assets, then even if he is shown to be the father of the child, you may not be able to get any money.
•    If you want the child to know his father, you may want to consider the implication of the prison sentence and a father in prison on a child’s life.
•    If the father was providing child support before going to prison but of course, loses his income in prison he can seeks to revoke the court order. Legally, if you can prove a drastic change in income, a judge can reduce your payments. Being in prison is considered a reduction in income. You child support payments can be reduced too.

The Jailed Father Asks for a Paternity DNA Test

A father has every right to have a paternity test done if he believes that a child is his biological one. He will need to prove and substantiate that he has had a relationship with the mother so as for the judge to issue a court ordered paternity test. Once you have this you will need to get the paternity test done following a very strict chain of custody as is done in a legal paternity test. The CSSD or Child Support Services Department can help you with your case and can even provide the money for it; however, under some circumstances, the alleged father may have to eventually pay back the money. For example, if the test has been court ordered, the father may have to pay back the cost if he is shown to be the biological dad. If he is excluded as the biological father, he will not need to pay back the cost.

Here we have discussed some of the issues of DNA testing in prison but seeking full advice from the DNA testing company you choose is always best.

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