Judges Bribed by Private Contractor to Sentence More Kids to Juvie Detention

[snot]

From http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/inquirer/20090128_Editorial__Judges_Sentenced.html :

"First, the judges helped the detention centers land a county contract worth $58 million. Then their alleged scheme was to guarantee the operators a steady income by detaining juveniles, often on petty stuff.

"Many of the kids were railroaded, according to allegations lodged with the state Supreme Court last year by the Philadelphia-based Juvenile Law Center, an advocacy group.

"In asking the court to intervene in April, the law center cited hundreds of examples where teens accused of minor mischief were pressured to waive their right to lawyers, and then shipped to a detention center.

"One teen was given a 90-day sentence for having parodied a school administrator online. Such unwarranted detentions left "both children and parents feeling bewildered, violated and traumatized," center lawyers said."

(More at the link above.)

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. The most compelling reason why for-profit privatized prisons IS A REALLY FUCKING BAD IDEA.

And, ultimately, utterly immoral.

[ljm2002]

2. What you said. n/t

[malaise]

11. Locking up people's children for profit

Neo-slavery.

[roguevalley]

39. hope the judges get jail. imagine doing time with people you sentenced ,,,

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. It's like the plot from Holes.

[slay]

15. For-profit prisons need to be made illegal ASAP

The profit motive for keeping bodies in cells is a reality - and causes people who have no business being locked up, to be locked up purely so the prison can make $$$. Sickening. :puke:

[midnight]

33. Remember years ago when they"privatized prisons" were marketed to us because

it would save tax dollars?

[Laelth]

21. Agreed. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[kenfrequed]

34. I agree completely.

It creates a demand for criminals.

Also there is little incentive to rehabilitate or retrain, particularly in states where you have three-strikes laws.

[Karenina]

40. BINGO!

[sarge43]

3. Isn't that tantamount to selling those kids into slavery?

[Luna_C_06]

20. I think so. nt

[damntexdem]

4. I'm against the death penalty -- but sometimes .......................

[katandmoon]

18. ....sometimes, some people just don't deserve to live.

[Mnemosyne]

24. Some are only alive because

it is illegal to kill them.

:evilgrin::hi:

[EndersDame]

5. I some times hope there is a hell when I hear stories like this

Seriously these kids can have their whole futures fucked up because of these corrupt slimeballs.
I hope all of them get not just the book but the entire bookcase thrown at them

[ColbertWatcher]

6. I'm shocked I'm the first to kick and rec.

Aren't there more people against privatization on DU!?

[EndersDame]

8. Just joined ...

Moved from Austin to Waco need some sane people to communicate. I am totally against privatization of things like this

[ColbertWatcher]

9. Welcome to DU!

I hear there are plenty of Texans on DU.

Have you checked out the Texas forum?

If not, there are also a bunch of other forums which might interest you: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/

[EndersDame]

38. Thank you for the warm welcome

[Elidor]

7. Seven years is not enough for what they've done

It's outrageous.

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. This is pretty freaking stuff.

Some of the judges in my area who were assigned to these positions, were once lawyers who did dubious dirty work for the powers that be. I suspect they were rewarded with the judgeship. I always worried that they were in a position to retaliate against someone's kids, or interfere with someone's divorce settlement.

[joeunderdog]

13. How much additional time will they get for Tax Evasion?

This is despicable. :puke:

[ColbertWatcher]

14. Good point! If anyone deserves to have the book thrown at them it's these criminals. n/t

[Tsiyu]

16. This is why prison lobbyists are behind your

"mandatory minimum sentences."

This is why your Prison Contractor/lobbyist LOVES the War on Drugs and pushes your legislator (or bribes him or her) to continue raising the sentencing rates.

This is why, when I talk to young people (and I know many of them) I am not surprised to hear them say they hate everything we "grownups" stand for.

We allow contractors, corporations, to destroy their lives and we are idiots and say nothing. NOTHING.

Well, maybe this weeks earnings on that prison contractor stock will make it all worth it: you know, that we sell our kids down the river so some asshole can make lots of $$$$$$$$

A nation of cowards whose kids HATE them. The good old USA

[immoderate]

19. !

--imm

[ZombieHorde]

17. I hate privatized prisons. Who privatized prisons in the U.S.?

[joeunderdog]

22. probably the same people who will be privatizing water. just wait.

[Mnemosyne]

25. Raygun and "friends" - GHW */BFEE. n/t

[chollybocker]

23. Why do we never see these criminals' faces on the teevee?

)Just kidding.(:

[readmoreoften]

26. Why are you against freedom and prosperity and profit?

These kids probably did something to deserve it. If they're guilty, they'll get 'corrected'. If they're not, they'll be just fine. Everybody wins. You must be a commie.






....(need I? :sarcasm:)

[Hannah Bell]

27. and here several people were just telling me how they'd trust their fate to a judge before a jury of

their peers.

the judges are more rational & educated, doncha know.

maybe, but you only have to corrupt one to hurt thousands.

[Shardik]

28. I remember this story from LBN after the indictment...

It got moved to the PA forum.

K&R

[Joanne98]

29. Some day this prison "job security" scandal is going to blow wide open.

[LeftishBrit]

30. How absolutely disgusting!!!

Bad enough to do such a thing to anyone - with kids it's even worse!

And I was a boring little goody-goody as a teenager but if 'parodying a school administrator' is a penal offense, then my friends and I would probably still be serving life sentences!

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

31. When confronted by the face of pure evil like this, I get really depressed

Seriously. It's really hard to assimilate that people like these "judges" have risen to high places in our society and that they are so bereft of even a grain of humanity and decency. How many like these walk among us? Promoting virtual slave labor in privatized prison industries? How many innocent people have been railroaded and had their lives ruined so that some evil few might increase their wealth?

:cry:

[midnight]

32. This blue print for a prison world is becoming clearer and clearer.

Everyone needs to stay vigilant. That is why the Rove/Judicial scandle needs to be tried in a court of law.

[Lars39]

35. I think this happened in the town we used to live in....

One brother was a juvenile judge, one ran the juvenile detention center, other brother was county attorney.

[Joe Chi Minh]

36. If that doesn't cry to heave for vengeance.....!

[derby378]

37. Our kids must be taught this one simple phrase...

"I'm not saying anything unless an attorney is present."

Say it over and over and over again, no matter how much the detectives pressure you in that little room.

[Still Sensible]

41. Looks like somebody will be going to adult detention now

[PM Martin]

42. WTF? WTF? WTF? WTF? WTF? WTF? WTF? WTF?

:wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf:

IS THIS? :wtf:

7 measly years seems hardly enough time in jail for these BAS****S! :argh:
:argh:

These kids records should be expunged.

[lonestarnot]

43. SHUT THEM DOWN!