Biden gives clemency to "kids-for-cash" judge
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In 2008, judge Michael Conahan was convicted of accepting approximately $2.8 million in return for imposing excessively long sentences on juveniles to increase profits at privately run children's prisons in Pennsylvania. Conahan along with another judge, Mark Ciavarella sent more than 2,300 children, some as young as 8-years-old to facilities run by PA Child Care. Many of the children were imprisoned on minor charges, such as truancy, mocking an assistant principal on social media or trespassing in a vacant building. In 2011, Mr. Conahan was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison but was later put on house arrest as a result of Covid-19, where he was to remain until 2026. In December 2024, President Joe Biden despicably cut short his sentence. This has drawn a huge public outcry from Conahan's victims and their parents. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro stated, “I do feel strongly that President Biden got it absolutely wrong and created a lot of pain here in northeastern Pennsylvania.” Certainly, a fair and compassionate justice system for all people including the approximately 200,000 children currently on the Sex offender registry is desirable. Let's not forget that these two men had at least 2,300 victims who's childhoods they sold for cash kickbacks. Prison is a traumatic experience even for adults that some people never fully get past. It is far worse for children. Some of these children took their own lives because of these men's actions or had their families ripped apart. Many people in prison deserve a second chance and a clean slate to be able to start over, Michael Conahan is not among them. |
