This is my thought as well, shouldn't you be in jail anyway for a substantial time after vehicular manslaughter. It seems like anyone who serves such a sentence only to be released and owe massive debt is going to have zero incentive to work. Likely a jail bum for life, which doesn't seem to fix anything.

Also in cases where the individual has other child support obligations, doesn't this likely reduce the chances of any payment to zero.

Families should be entitled to a wrongful death settlement, child support shouldn't apply to this at all as it seems to cause more issues than solutions.