A former Pennsylvania judge has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for a so-called “kids-for-cash” scheme, in which he took money in exchange for sending juvenile offenders to for-profit detention centers. Former Luzerne County judge, Mark Ciavarella, Jr., received more than $2.8 million in bribes and kickbacks for putting juveniles into detention centers owned by his friends. Speaking before his sentencing, Ciavarella refused to admit he had accepted money in return for jailing children. Outside the courtroom, Sandy Fonzo, whose son committed suicide following a lengthy detention ordered by Ciaverella, expressed relief at the sentence.

Sandy Fonzo: “It’s an outrage that he still continues [to deny kickbacks], but today he is going to prison for 25 to 28 years. He’s being taken today. And to me, that just means everything.”

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has thrown out thousands of juvenile convictions handed down under Ciavarella’s watch. Ciavarella will now face a number of civil lawsuits from the children he sentenced and their families.