Kids for Cash: Two Judges, Thousands of Children, and a $2.8 Million Kickback Scheme

Book Synopsis: The shocking true story of corrupt judges who made millions by sending children to a private juvenile detention facility: “A harrowing tale, lucidly told” (The New York Times Book Review). In this sensational work of true crime that reads like a thriller, Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter William Ecenbarger exposes a long-running scandal that ruined thousands of young lives. In Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan were doing big business in juvenile court. From 2003 to 2008, they received millions of dollars in kickbacks from a private detention facility that needed a steady stream of inmates. Many of the children caught in this scheme were first-time offenders. Many received only cursory hearings without legal counsel. Some were as young as eleven years old.

When it was first released, Kids for Cash brought the story to national attention, where it has stayed ever since. As the Philadelphia Inquirer pointed out, this is the “worst stain on Pennsylvania, a state with more than its share of stains . Bill Ecenbarger offers a detail-packed, sickening account of the scandal and its impact. Anyone caring about courts, justice or children should read it.”

“Heartbreakingly shows justice gone bad.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Shocking.” —Library Journal