Part of the political cost of the social security acts that gave us modern social services in the 1960s were a few measures that basically destroyed the family unit in poor families. Basically you can’t get most benefits if there are two parents in a household.

That created an obvious incentive for male behavior in poor families. Once the unattached male hits bottom, there’s three options: mooch off of parents/baby mama and get in your feet, mooch and do nothing, get on disability, or go to jail.