Criminal Injustice

[joshwriting]

I've been boggled by this one for a few days now.

Two judges in Pennsylvania have been railroading juveniles into a pair of detention facilities, apparently in return for kickbacks from the facilities - to the tune of ~$2,600,000 between them.

Hundred and possibly thousands of kids have been convicted and sentenced, often for incredibly trivial issues - and usually without either having lawyers or being informed that they were entitled to them.

They pleaded guilty. One of them expressed remorse. The other allegedly closed the public facility and arranged for the private ones to get contracts with the state, contracts deemed excessive - and yet, the process was not examined, let alone the results, for years.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29142654/
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2009/02/2-pa-judges-adm.html&cid=1303722996&usg=AFQjCNHerNw1_KSBOjI6LeQJtfD_Ii-yPA
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h88VgykKcn87UozOYaETJS6yufvgD96AP8FG0

I just don't get it.

Comments

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

When I lived in Florida, it was well known that a rich kid could get sent to expensive drug rehab with no conviction, on his parents tab, but a poor kid went to jail. And that the drug rehab people were very cozy with judges.

People do stuff for money, you know?

[camlina.livejournal.com]

>When I lived in Florida, it was well known that a rich kid could get sent to expensive drug rehab with no conviction, on his parents tab, but a poor kid went to jail.<

Wait, that isn't the norm everywhere?

I spose that would be a form of corruption, now that I actually think about it, but it's always seemed like such a normal part of just 'how the system works' that I never really stopped to think about it before.

[fancci.livejournal.com]

In my hometown, everyone gets sent to jail.

Though it's probably worth noting that my hometown is one of the poorest areas in the state...

[thorbol.livejournal.com]

I'd argue that it's not hart to "get." That doesn't make it less evil.

Also, as long as we have anti-drug laws and other sorts of nonsense to screw people on, we have more incentives for corruption that the irreducible minimum.

[serakit.livejournal.com]

Who in this day and age isn't already aware that they have the right to a lawyer?

Anyway, people wonder why teenagers don't trust the system or adults. This is exactly why.