Answer
Based on official Jordanian legal texts
Yes, a judgment debtor may be detained for a maintenance debt in certain cases. However, detention is not automatic merely because payment was not made. It must be requested through the Sharia Enforcement Department and ordered by the enforcement judge according to the conditions set by law.
Article 13(d) of the Sharia Execution Law allows the creditor to request detention of the debtor in maintenance and wage debts without proving the debtor's ability to pay if the enforceable instrument is filed for enforcement within three months from the date it was issued. If enforcement is filed after that period, accumulated maintenance and wage debts are subject to the general rules concerning ability to pay and settlement.
Article 13 also regulates limits connected to detention, installments, and settlements. Article 14 lists categories where detention is not allowed in certain cases, such as some public employees, persons not personally liable for the debt, persons lacking mental capacity, and pregnant women within the legal limits. The enforcement judge may also postpone detention if an official medical report shows that the debtor suffers from an illness that makes detention unbearable.
Therefore, the answer is not a simple yes in every case. Detention is legally possible for maintenance debts, but it requires an enforcement request, fulfillment of legal conditions, and absence of a legal bar.
This is a general explanation based on the approved Jordanian legal sources and does not replace advice from a qualified lawyer in a specific dispute.