Pennsylvania judge sentenced to 28 years in prison for selling teens to prisons

[dixiegrrrrl]

I had missed seeing this sentencing story, but knew of the charges.

Disgraced Pennsylvania judge Mark Ciavarella Jr has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for conspiring with private prisons to sentence juvenile offenders to maximum sentences for bribes and kickbacks which totaled millions of dollars. He was also ordered to pay $1.2 million in restitution.

In the private prison industry the more time an inmate spends in a facility, the more of a profit is reaped from the state. Ciavearella was a figurehead in a conspiracy in the state of Pennsylvania which saw thousands of young men and women unjustly punished and penalized in the name of corporate profit.

.........Ciavearella's cases from 2003 - 2008 were reviewed by a special investigative panel and later by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and it was found that upwards of 5,000 young men and women were denied their constitutional rights, and therefore all of their convictions were dismissed and were summarily released.

http://www.examiner.com/article/pennsylvania-judge-sentenced-to-28-years-prison-for-selling-teens-to-prisons

[villager]

1. How many others are doing this right now, and haven't been caught?

n/t

[Tx4obama]

2. This is OLD NEWS. He was sentenced in 2011

For some reason - who the hell knows why - this story began popping up the past few days as a 'new' story - it is NOT.


He was sentenced in 2011: August 12, 2011 - http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/08/12/pennsylvania.judge.sentenced/index.html

Sunday, August 14, 2011 - http://www.allgov.com/news/controversies/judge-sentenced-to-28-years-in-prison-for-selling-kids-to-private-prisons?news=843116

Published: August 12, 2011 - http://citizensvoice.com/news/ex-judge-ciavarella-angry-defiant-at-sentencing-1.1187638#axzz1UpLdKxQs

[Rex]

5. So?

This is NOT LBN...just because you knew about it doesn't mean others did too. Why the strange care about the date? Maybe it popped up as a 'news' story.

[Tx4obama]

6. I know this is not LBN. Folks have posted this several times on DU in past few days and folks...

... have thought it was new. Since it's not new I was just letting everyone know.

[Rex]

7. Oh okay.

First I've seen it since it came out in 2011. Thanks for the heads up.

[Android3.14]

13. First I've seen it as well

WTF? Is this the 1950s?

[progressoid]

8. Sometimes we like old news here...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022786400

[marshall]

11. It is not old news, it is ongoing news

The sentencing was in 2011, but the case has continued to be in the spotlight because of the thousands of cases that it involves. Pennsylvania is still trying to sort out the mess, and it continues to be quite relevant as a major news story.

[Tx4obama]

3. The Examiner.com has over 100,000 contributors, some of them get the news wrong :) n/t

[Freddie]

4. That story made me beyond furious

My son was involved in the juvenile justice system in PA, another county, thank God. You as a parent are confused, overwhelmed and helpless in the system. My son was treated fairly and he's now doing fine. I can't imagine what those families are going through. Each victim deserves restitution, not just a removal of their records. Four years at PA state universities would be a start.

[pacalo]

9. That's how I see it, too.

[tecelote]

12. Great suggestion!

[joeybee12]

10. Considering what this asshole did, 28 years doesn't seem nearly long enough.

[dixiegrrrrl]

14. what worries me is that he most likely is not the only judge who did this.

I recall a story about a Fla. judge.
And with the proliferation of private prisons, most of them run by the contemptible Corrections Corp of America, I am pretty confident this is not an isolated case.

[joeybee12]

15. Yup, when there's money involved, people do awful things...

It's very sad,

[Downtown Hound]

16. I agree

But consider that there is no way they will put this asshole in genpop, so that mean he will probably be spending the next 28 years in isolation. After a few years in there, he'll probably be wishing they had just killed him.

[FiveGoodMen]

18. Let's hope

[PD Turk]

17. And it begs the question

How many more judges are doing this under the table and haven't been caught? Even the most hardcore libertarians I know are against privatization of the prison industry. We need to end privatization/for profit prisons now!!

[DonRedwood]

19. I was hoping he would get a day for every day he sent them away

Seemed fair to me... but I'll be ok with the sentence they got. I wonder how prisoners will treat him?

[Mr.Bill]

20. I hope he does his time in a privately owned prison.

In the general population, although I know that's too much to hope for.

[kelliekat44]

21. Now to lock up some of the P-I-C contractors.

P-I-C = prison industrial complex.