| Judges Commit Injustice Against Juveniles |
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Injustice done to juveniles who came before judges
By Pam Ely
March 21, 2009
Former Luzerne County Judge Mark Ciavarella, who investigators say took millions of dollars in “kickbacks” from juvenile detention facilities, stated that his taking of this money had nothing to do with his decisions to send juveniles away and that he truly cared about them.
What is really scary is that he probably truly believes this, and that one thing had nothing to do with the other – a major rationalization and a typical sociopathic trait. While he was secretly amassing millions of dollars, he was condemning kids whose first offenses were stealing change, for example. Showing no mercy or empathy, he proceeded to be punitive, to the extreme, with these kids, all the while knowing he was in a position of power and probably also believing he would continue to get away with it.
I believe he should be sent to one of his juvenile detention centers, of choice, and treated accordingly. Let him stand up to the daily harassment and abuse these kids endured. Let him be humiliated, screamed at, brought down, made to feel like a loser, deprived of family and given no reprieve by the courts.
Let him see just how “useful” these centers are, while being reminded on a daily basis of his source of “extra income.”
I don’t believe for one minute that this is just some isolated incident, and I laud whomever it was who had the guts to pursue this charge against him and the other judge, Michael Conahan. Other counties probably will be next.
Yes, kids act out. Yes, kids get in trouble. It is part of the growing-up experience, and it’s the responsibility of adults to steer them in the right direction.
The system is so confusing, you want and need advice, justice, truth and protection from your judges, lawyers, custody conciliators, children and youth workers, etc. You go before these folks, who are authority figures; you put your faith in them, yet they can and are able to totally abuse their power. When they are corrupt, they can destroy the lives of families, and get away with it.
I hope and pray the families who were victims of these judges will be compensated somehow. I hope their faith, hope and self-esteem will be restored. They deserve an apology, at least; and they deserve their dignity restored, at best.
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Pam Ely
SCCF Member
March 21, 2009
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