There were also many people in the "justice apparatus" (ie. the prosecutor, police, a GREAT many social workers of two dozen different organizations, schools, ...) that were intimately involved with this practice. They got away with it because they didn't get paid.

But their "duty" is to "protect the interest of the children" (literally from the law). To say they utterly failed their duty is vastly understating what happened. Half a dozen children committed suicide because of them. Frankly, if that happened because of a private citizen ... they would have been dragged before the court on charges of murder and faced decades in prison.

If all it takes is one bad actor (e.g. a more-and-more drunk elderly judge) to create this practice for 5 years, which then goes unpunished for another 10 years ... then we've lost all semblance of justice.

It's a life sentence. Is there anything harsher short of the death penalty?

What do you suggest we do, then?

It’s tantamount to life in prison and they have to return their ill gotten gains. There is nothing else to take. This is justice, not retribution.

From the article, one is still in jail in Kentucky, and one is at home under house arrest following release due to COVID mitigations. Nothing there about the jail security level.

The sentencing was in 2011, and yes, they went to jail. One is still in, one is on house arrest.