Kids for Cash: Private Prisons and the Judges who fill them

02-13-2014 • NEXT NEWS

NATION | One of the biggest prison scandals to ever hit U.S. courts is now being made into a reality show after the release of the "Kids for Cash" documentary film. "Kids for Cash" opened in theaters February 7th. Mark Ciavarella was a judge known for handing out harsh penalties. In 2008, he sentenced two teenagers to long sentences for minor crimes. Dana Shumway was ordered to spend three years behind bars for joyriding and underage drinking. His brother, Nikita, was sentenced to two years behind bars for underage drinking, breaking curfew and violating probation. Ciavarella sent thousands of other young people to prison for minor crimes. He and another judge were found guilty of taking money from the owners of a company that manages private prisons. The judges received over two million dollars from a corporation investing in juvenile detention centers. The pair soon adopted a "no tolerence" policy, tearing thousands of young people from their families, sending them to the p