KIDS FOR CASH: THE NEW CRISIS
'Kids for Cash' Judge has sentence commuted by President Biden

President Biden has scrapped the rest of the sentence for Michael Conahan, the former judge involved in the 'Kids for Cash scandal.'

Author: Melissa Steininger
Published: 5:28 PM EST December 12, 2024
Updated: 5:28 PM EST December 12, 2024

PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Former Judge Michael Conahan, a judge at the helm of the infamous 'Kids for Cash' scandal, was among the nearly 1,500 individuals whose sentences were commuted by President Joe Biden as part of his executive clemency. Conahan, along with his co-conspirator, former judge Mark Ciavarella, was involved in a scheme where juveniles were sent to for-profit detention centers in exchange for kickbacks.

Conahan and Ciavarella were accused of shutting down the Luzerne County-run juvenile detention center and accepting millions from the builder and co-owner of two for-profit detention centers. The scandal is believed to have impacted the lives of more than 2,500 kids, including whistleblower Hillary Transue. She spoke with Action 16's Melissa Steininger March during her investigative series, 'Kids for Cash: The New Crisis. {snip} "The kids that were affected by Ciavarella, the people who were affected by him, they aren't mad because he took money. That's salt in the wound. What we're mad about is that he hurt us," said Transue.

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The Juvenile Law Center, a non-profit working to reduce the harm of the child welfare and justice systems, helped crack the 'Kids for Cash' Scandal open after hearing of Transue's case. Marsha Levick, Chief Legal Officer, released a statement saying:

"The Kids for Cash tragedy caused immeasurable harm to many young people and their families when judges took alleged kickbacks for sending children to for-profit detention centers in Luzerne County, PA. Many of these young people are still living with that trauma today. While we believe in a compassionate justice system that rejects an historically hyper-punitive approach to holding people accountable, we also hope former judge Michael Conahan has reflected on the harm he caused to thousands of kids as he accepts this clemency today. Likewise, while we certainly support President Biden’s actions, we would like to see the same kind of compassion and mercy extended to children nationwide who continue to suffer harm from our juvenile and criminal legal systems."

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