BARBOURVILLE, Ky. (WYMT) - Some parents behind on child support in Knox County got an opportunity to get caught up on payments and wipe out warrants for their arrests.

The Knox County Child Support Office offered an Amnesty Program this week. Parents could pay and not go to jail.

Knox County Child Support Case Workers have 200 bench warrants for parents who have not paid child support.

"Some of them it's been awhile," said Case Worker Brandi Hicks.

This week, parents with active bench warrants could come in, get started on payments again, and not go to jail.

"Times are tough, employment is scarce out there, and we wanted to give people an opportunity to come clean with the law basically. This was an opportunity to help people get warrants withdrawn from them, keep them from going to jail, and if they are employed, that allows them to keep on with their current employer," said Knox County Attorney Charley Greene Dixon.

At least twenty parents took advantage of the program. Case workers collected $10,000 in overdue payments.

"You've got people that weren't able to make payments for a long time, and now these clients are able to get their payments and we're actually able to talk to these people who once did not want to come in here, and help them get back on track with their payments," Hicks said.

Case Workers say this helps more than just the legal system. It also helps the children who the payments are for.

"Oh absolutely! The clients are able to receive the financial help that they need to help the children," Hicks said.

The parents who did not come in during the Amnesty Program are now facing jail time.

The Knox County Child Support Office plans to offer more amnesty programs in the future.