Can I Go To Jail For Debt In The US?

Debt Support Trust is a debt assistance charity which you can call for advice to get debt relief. This question is very much more common and the answer is slightly more complex than yes or no.

The facts are, you cannot go to jail for simply being in debt. However, if you have a court order against you and you are asked to pay back a certain amount then you must adhere to this, or they could imprison you on the grounds of breach of agreement from the court.

You can’t go to jail for being in debt! If you have debt – get help. Friendly debt advisors are always there to help.

So, When Do People Go To Jail?

Being in debt is not a crime, however acting fraudulently is definitely a crime. To illustrate, if you deliberately claim for benefits that you are not legally entitled or if you took out credit with no intention of paying it back.

If you legally obtained credit cards, loans, utility bills, store cards and other types of debt that were applied for honestly, then it is a civil matter and you cannot go to prison, even if you refuse to disburse them. You can rather get help with debt relief.

The only way you could face prison is if you deliberately disobey certain orders from the court. One in particular is if a bailiff has been unsuccessful in grabbing goods and creditors then use other means to enforce collection like an attachment of earnings order. Deliberately and persistently, if you refuse to cooperate with the county courts in these matters you can be detained for up to 14 days.

The sentence of imprisonment won’t be for non-payment of the relief debt, but will be for the offense of failing to follow the court’s order in regard to the debt release.

If you go bankrupt you can’t be imprisoned. You can’t be imprisoned as part of the process if you have become insolvent. There is a kind of insolvency known as “criminal insolvency” but this is very rare. If you go bankrupt as a direct result of reckless activities like the hazardous overspending and gambling, in cases such as this you may be subject to a certain restrictions called an “insolvency restriction order”.if this order is broken, it is a criminal offense and you may be entitled to a custodial sentence.

If you have any problems with your debt or want to discuss any issues regarding relief of debt, kindly contact Debt Support Trust without any hesitation for debt help.

Conclusion

You cannot go to jail for simply being in debt. However, if you have a court order against you and you are asked to pay back a certain amount then you must adhere to this, or they could imprison you on the grounds of breach of agreement from the court.