Mark Ciavarella was sentenced to serve 28 years in prison by a federal judge last week (August 11, 2011) in one of the most horrific cases of judicial corruption to ever come to light in the United States. Known as the "Kids for Cash" scandal, former judge Ciavarella and former judge Michael Conahan first used their position to close the local Luzerne County, Pennsylvania juvenile detention center, and paved the way for private detention centers to house the county's delinquent children. As a result, the judges received millions in kickbacks for their efforts in opening the door for the private detention center and for keeping it full of children serving time.
Ciavarella's sentencing of juvenile offenders became unusually harsh. Many of them were first time offenders and committed minor crimes. One chid served 48 days for throwing food during an argument in his home, three months for a fight for another child, a child locked up for showing her middle finger to a police officer, and a 10 year old child was locked up for over a month for accidentally setting his home on fire while playing with a lighter.
Imagine the horror of the parents who watched their young children taken to serve time, shackled and handcuffed, after their sentencing hearing. The anger directed toward the judges when it became known that they were taking kickbacks for locking up children is very understandable. One mother, Sandy Fonzo, whose child experienced depression after six months of incarceration for drug paraphernalia by Ciavarella, and later committed suicide, confronted the disgraced judge in no uncertain terms after he was found guilty in federal court. Ms. Fonzo reminded Ciavarella that he told the children he sentenced that they had to be responsible for their actions.
Now Ciavarella can follow his own advice. At 61, he will serve 28 years, probably a life sentence, for his actions. He can now take responsibility just like he admonished the children he abused while he sold them for the money he received for jailing children.
U.S. Attorneys state that more than 30 local and state government officials and contractors have either been convicted or are awaiting trial in this matter.
Ciavarella is lucky on two counts. First, he is lucky he was not charged with the false imprisonment of the approximately 4,000 children whose convictions were later overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court after his actions came to light. For each of those children, he should have been charged with false imprisonment, abduction, and obstruction of justice just to name a few. Any competent prosecutor could probably add 5 or 6 more charges for each child Ciavarella victimized. Instead of having a chance at release after 28 years (he will actually serve 85% of that time in federal prison) Ciavarella should have been sentenced to die in prison. Secondly, had this occurred in the past where there was no way to keep the mob of angry parents from executing their own justice, Ciavarella would likely have been hung from a tree in front of his own courthouse. He should count his blessings, for Ciavarella experienced the justice and mercy that should be a part of every criminal proceeding, mercy and justice that he denied thousands of children whose care was entrusted to him.
Former Judge sentenced to prison for "kids for cash" scheme