![]() ![]() In return for shutting down the county facility and funneling juveniles to the private facilities, the developer and owners gave the judges kickbacks. Since 2000, Conahan and Ciavarella had been sentencing juveniles to extended periods of incarceration in two private detention facilities. In 2008, the kids for cash scandal came to light. Unfortunately, a new batch of judges in Luzerne County Pennsylvania’s juvenile and family court system is at risk of perpetrating another kid-for-cash scandal. Kids for cash is a testimony to Luzerne County’s “culture of corruption” and the parade of horribles - including bribery, kickbacks, retaliation and conflicts of interest - that continue to afflict the region’s political and legal community. Many would also stand by and silently acquiesce to the arrangement. Also disturbing were the lengths to which some respected members of Luzerne County’s legal, political and law enforcement community would go to protect them. Two elected judicial officials enriched themselves and their associates by destroying the lives of children and their families. The kids-for-cash scandal became a national media event not only because it drew attention to the problem of for-profit youth prisons, but more importantly because it was a tragic real-life story of public corruption and greed. ![]() As Henry Giroux argues, the growth of private, for-profit juvenile prisons represents nothing less than an all-out “war on youth.” Pennsylvania’s private juvenile prisons account for 11 percent of the total number in the US, according to the Juvenile Justice Center of Pittsburgh, PA. ![]() Pennsylvania has the second highest number of youth detention centers behind Florida. To maximize profits from these private prisons, their owners, including wealthy local attorney Robert Powell, bribed the judges with gifts and money so that they would impose harsh sentences on juvenile offenders for minor offenses.Įxpansion of the for-profit prison-industrial complex to juvenile facilities is nothing new in the US. President Judge Mark Ciavarella and Senior Judge Michael Conahan took millions of dollars in kickbacks from local real estate mogul and youth detention center developer Robert Mericle. lost his retention bid in 2009 with less than 45 percent voting “yes.” Judge David Lupas was the last county judge to face retention, and more than 68 percent of the vote approved his retention in 2017.Chester Muroski, Luzerne County newest Kids-for-cash judgeīETWEEN 20, two judges in Luzerne Pennsylvania’s County Court of Common Pleas executed one of the most elaborate judicial corruption schemes in U.S. He won election to a full term in 1999 and survived a retention vote in 2009 with approval from more than 61 percent of the vote. Tom Ridge in May 1998 to fill the seat vacated by Judge Correale Stevens’ election to the state Superior Court. Burke was appointed to the bench by former Gov. Judicial candidates can cross file and run in both the Democratic and Republican contests. ![]() Amesbury and Gartley, 52, won judicial terms in the 2009 general election after first winning nominations in a primary election that involved 17 candidates. Retired judges can continue to serve as senior judges. But Burke and Amesbury would only serve partial terms if retained because the mandatory retirement age for judges is 75. If one of the judges didn’t want to face a retention vote, judicial candidates would have been able to run in the May primary election, and a contested general election may have resulted. County voters will decide whether to retain each judge with a “yes” or “no” vote this November. Burke Jr., William Amesbury and Tina Polachek Gartley - have informed the state they will be candidates in retention elections to stay on the bench, Department of State spokeswoman Wanda Murren said Thursday. ![]()
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