U.S. District Judge Christopher Conner ruled Wednesday that two Pennsylvania judges were liable for $106 million in compensatory damages and $100 million in punitive damages to 300 people after orchestrating a “kids-for-cash” scheme.
The ruling regards former Luzerne County Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan, who sent young children to a for-profit jail in exchange for $2.8 million in payments from the owner of the penitentiaries, while shutting down a county-run juvenile detention center, according to The Associated Press (AP).
Pennsylvania's "kids for cash" judges, who orchestrated a scheme to send children to for-profit jails in exchange for kickbacks, have been ordered to pay more than $200 million to hundreds who fell victim to their crimes. t.co/yTjWKmCijp
— Michael Rubinkam (@michaelrubinkam) August 17, 2022
“Ciavarella and Conahan abandoned their oath and breached the public trust,” Judge Conner wrote in his judgement, according to AP. “Their cruel and despicable actions victimized a vulnerable population of young people, many of whom were suffering from emotional issues and mental health concerns.”