President Biden has sparked anger among Pennsylvania residents after commuting the sentence of a corrupt judge who was jailed for more than 17 years after he was caught taking bribes for sending teenagers to for-profit detention centers.

In the so-called “kids for cash” scandal, former judge Michael Conahan closed a county-run juvenile detention center and shared $2.8 million in illegal payments from the builder and co-owner of two for-profit prisons. Another judge, Mark Ciavarella, was also involved in the illegal scheme, the effects of which are still felt by victims and families today.

The scandal is considered Pennsylvania’s largest judicial corruption scheme of all time. After the scheme was uncovered, the state Supreme Court overturned about 4,000 juvenile convictions against more than 2,300 children.

Biden commutes 1,500 prison sentences and grants 39 more pardons: ‘Largest clemency granted in one day’

Conahan, 72, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering in 2010, but was released from prison in 2020 due to health concerns related to COVID-19 and placed on home confinement with six years left on his sentence.

But Biden, the so-called favorite son of Scranton, commuted his sentence Thursday in the largest one-day clemency act in modern history, commuting prison sentences for nearly 1,500 people and granting 39 pardons.

“My administration will continue to consider clemency petitions to advance equal justice under the law, promote public safety, support rehabilitation and reintegration, and provide meaningful second chances,” Biden said.

The decision raises questions about why Biden would commute the sentence of a judge loathed in the region.

Fox News has reached out to the White House for comment but has not received a response.

Sandy Fonzo, who once confronted Ciavarella in federal court after her son was sent to juvenile hall and convictedTed suicide, said the president’s actions were an “injustice” and “deeply painful.”

“I am shocked and hurt,” Fonzo said in a statement, according to The Citizens Voice. “Conahan’s actions have destroyed families, including mine, and my son’s death is a tragic reminder of the consequences of his abuse of power. This pardon feels like an injustice to all of us who are still suffering. Right now I’m busy doing my best.” I can deal with the pain this has brought.

The plan began in 2002 when Conahan closed the state juvenile detention center and used money from the Luzerne County budget to finance a multimillion-dollar lease for the private facilities.

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Ciavarella, who presided over the juvenile court, advocated for a zero-tolerance policy that guaranteed that large numbers of children would be sent to PA Child Care and its sister facility, Western PA Child Care.

Ciavarella ordered the detention of children as young as eight, many of whom were first-time offenders for petty theft, jaywalking, truancy, smoking on school grounds and other minor infractions. The judge often ordered juveniles he found delinquent to be immediately tied up, handcuffed, and taken away, without giving them a chance to defend themselves or even say goodbye to their families.

In 2022, both Conahan and Ciavarella were ordered to pay more than $200 million to nearly 300 victims, although it is unlikely that the now-adult victims will see even a fraction of the damages.

During the case, a victim described shaking uncontrollably during a routine traffic stop – a result of the traumatizing effects of his childhood incarceration – and having to produce his mental health records in court to “explain why my behavior was so erratic”.

Several of the child victims involved when the lawsuit began in 2009 have since died of overdoses or suicide, prosecutors said.

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The plan, according to The Citizens Voice, involved former Pennsylvania attorney Robert Powell paying $770,000 to Ciavarella and Conahan, who in turn funneled juvenile defendants into two private, for-profit detention centers partially owned by Powell.

Powell served an 18-month sentence after pleading guilty to failure to report a crime and participating in a conspiracy.

Real estate developer Robert K. Mericle paid the judges $2.1 million and was later accused of failing to tell investigators and a grand jury that he knew the judges were defrauding the government. According to The Citizens Voice, Mericle served a year in federal prison.

According to the publication, Ciavarella is serving a 28-year prison sentence for honest mail fraud.

Matt Finn of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.