Judge Sold Kids to Private Prison - Caught and Sentenced

SCRANTON, Pa. (Associated Press) — A longtime northeastern Pennsylvania judge has been ordered to spend nearly three decades in prison for his role in a massive juvenile justice bribery scandal that prompted the state's high court to toss thousands of convictions.

Former Luzerne County Judge Mark Ciavarella Jr. was sentenced Thursday to 28 years in federal prison for taking $1 million in bribes from the builder of a pair of juvenile detention centers in a case that became known as "kids-for-cash."

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court tossed about 4,000 convictions issued by Ciavarella between 2003 and 2008, saying he violated the constitutional rights of the juveniles, including the right to legal counsel and the right to intelligently enter a plea.

Ciavarella, 61, was tried and convicted of racketeering charges earlier this year. His attorneys had asked for a "reasonable" sentence in court papers, saying, in effect, that he's already been punished enough.

"The media attention to this matter has exceeded coverage given to many and almost all capital murders, and despite protestation, he will forever be unjustly branded as the `Kids for Cash' judge," their sentencing memo said.

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This is where increased privatisation of things like your prison service gets you folks.

My old man used to say to me:

"What they had in America 5 years ago, we'll get soon."

And he was spot on.

If you voted Tory, don't come fucking moaning to me when you've got to pay twelve quid just to see your GP soon - I voted Labour.

Breadman wrote:If you voted Tory, don't come fucking moaning to me when you've got to pay twelve quid just to see your GP soon - I voted Labour.

It won't happen.

I didn't vote Labour (or Tory).

A number of Prisons in the UK have already been privatised. It's the thin end of the wedge. Nothing is sacred when it comes to saving money. A mate of mine recently retired from the Prison Service after 35 years. Since 2009 he was on the ' Lifer Wing ' at Lancaster Farms. Some of the stuff he had to put up with was pretty grim. Prisoners seem to have more ' Human Rights ' than the general law abiding public.

Judge sold kids to private prison - Caught and sentenced by Keegan.

I read the title of this thread on the main page and thought well done Keegan. Then read the story and no mention, now I'm confused. Why is Keegan taking credit for something he had no involvement in. Disgraceful.

"Keegan" is my alias. I had to keep my real name private for security reasons - the walls have ears!