A father can be legally obliged to provide for his child after paternity has been proven. Should the alleged father be in prison, the mother will unlikely wish for the prison sentence to be over until getting the paternity test. This is especially true if the sentence meted by the judge is a long one. This situation may require a DNA test from prison. In some instance, if the sentence is not long, the judge may issue the order for a paternity test after the convict has been released.

Sample collection from inmate is by means of oral swabs – a painless and quick method of sample collection.

Paternity testing can land you in prison

Remember, talking about prison and paternity testing, that trying to forge or alter the true results of a paternity test can land you in prison. It is an offence taken very seriously under any jurisdiction. It is sometimes the mother who tries to deliberately thwart the results of the paternity test – something known as paternity fraud. However, there are probably an equal number of cases when the father attempts this.

A paternity test can confirm with an accuracy of 99.99% if the alleged father is the biological father of the child. If he is not the biological father, the  result of the analysis will show the alleged father as having a 0% probability of paternity. Paternity fraud is a very serious crime- deliberate attempts to alter the result of a paternity test can have very serious legal consequences.

Getting a paternity test done on an inmate

The best way to begin is to contact the correctional facility and ask for the procedure they have in place under such circumstances. Normally they will already have a protocol in place. You will need to consult the Prison Service Instruction which will clearly give you all the information you need regarding the matter.

The governor of the prison will be made in charge of overseeing prisoner DNA testing. There Prison Service Orders stipulates all rules and regulations about the management and running of the prison.  The prisoner will need to be made aware of the sampling that will be about to take place.  With all these authorities involved, you will not be able to undertake an at home test in total privacy. If the alleged father refuses to have the sample taken, the prison officers can use force so as to have him submit to the procedure.

Child support while the father is in prison

You might not be able to claim any child support while the alleged father is in prison. This is because a person who is in prison is considered to be unemployed and to have no income. Things may be different if the alleged father has assets. Here you might also want to contact the Child Support Agency. Again, for paternity testing in prison, seek full legal advice and help from the right authorities.