Once again, I’m back to talking about Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Not long ago, I told you about a Wilkes-Barre woman who was awarded a judgment against the city for the official harassment she suffered after she petitioned the government. This time it’s local judges jailing young people in order to pad their own pockets with cold, hard cash.
For years, youth advocates argued that Judge Mark Ciavarella was, as they say, “way harsh.” Now, two Luzerne County judges, Ciavarella and Michael Conahan, have pled guilty to receiving $2.6 million in payoffs for forcing youthful offenders into private lock-ups.
Conahan was responsible for closing down the county-run juvenile prison and helping two private companies get lucrative contracts to house juvenile offenders. Ciavarella kept the Up the River hotel full of “clients.”
Who were they? What did they do?
Well, Hillary Transue lampooned her high school’s assistant principal on MySpace. Ciavarella sentenced her to three months.
Kurt Kruger says that he “was completely destroyed” after his conviction for being a look-out for a shoplifter. Kruger claims he was innocent. After being sent to a prison camp for four months he dropped out of high school.
There are many more such stories. How many? Well, at least $2.6 million dollars’ worth.
The best we can say for these recent stories from Wilkes-Barre is that they provide examples of an timeless truth: Political power cannot be trusted.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
9 replies on “Jailing Kids for Cash”
“Jailing Kids for Cash” is excellent reporting. I’m glad Paul published this story a second time. It needs to be reported. Paul Jacob consistently publishes strong columns. I have not read a “weak” column by Paul Jacob. Paul keeps us up to date on events and episodes that are worthy of attention.
/Check Sumter County for more of the same but with a slightly didferent covering.
I would like to have more information concerning the U S Supreme Court cae involving an ELECTD JUDGE and her ability to make rulings according to her “special interest voting bloc” that got her the job. I have a testimony that needs review accordingly. I wish I could get it on the web!!!
Sumter County has a sheriff that appears to renew his terms in office by petition etc. rather than having opponents from any party, This is the second time that he has been selected without a name on the ballot. There is a good reason for this and it smells worse than limburger cheese. He and the judge appear to have the same ” special interest bloc”. He keeps his jails filled to the brim to keep his friends and realitives employed. There is more in Sumter County Florida. You do not really have to go to Pennsylvanis. Have information and will talk!!!
/Check Sumter County for more of the same but with a slightly didferent covering.
I would like to have more information concerning the U S Supreme Court cae involving an ELECTD JUDGE and her/his ability to make rulings according to his/her “special interest voting bloc” that got him/her the job. I have a testimony that needs review accordingly. I wish I could get it on the web!!!
Sumter County has a sheriff that appears to renew his terms in office by petition etc. rather than having opponents from any party, This is the second time that he has been selected without a name on the ballot. There is a good reason for this and it smells worse than limburger cheese. He and the judge appear to have the same ” special interest bloc”. He possibly keeps his jails filled to the brim to keep his friends and realitives employed. There is more in Sumter County Florida. You do not really have to go to Pennsylvania. Have information and will talk!!!
Thanks for focusing on corrupt judges. This local incident (epoch)is typical of the kind of shenanigans that goes on routinely within the judicial branch of our government. I wish you would do a study of “Jail 4 Judges,” run by my mentor Ron Branson in California, with the hope that you can help expose some of the corruption he helps expose.
Thanks for your whistle-blowing on this crooked political scheme. I hope that the guilty officials will be prosecuted. Who can we trust anymore?
Please tell me that these students are sueing and having their records swept clean. Also, perhaps the assistant principal’s actions against a student clearly indicates why our public (read that government) education is a disgrace.
When people who are in a position of authority abuse their power in such a fashion they should be locked up themselves for about 10 years and lose everything the own.
Now it is time for “We the People” to make sure that Judges get the message that we will not tolerate any violations of the rights of our citizens.
IT IS TIME TO TAKE THE JUDGES TO COURT AND MAKE SURE THEIR NAME IS ON THE FRONT PAGE’S OF NEWSPAPERS.
When “We the People’ start to take back America, the Power-mongers will have to hide.
Judges Jailing Kids for Cash…
Somebody once said, “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Nothing could prove this statement correct better than the story of two judges in Wilkes-Barre, PA who got the local calaboose for children closed, and a private.…..