Shackled

Awards or Honors

• 2025 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist

• 2025 CCBC Choices 2025

• 2025 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Book Winner

• YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

• The New York Public Library Best Books for Teens 2024
  (Penguin Random House, n.d.)

Plot Summary
Judge Mark Ciavarella was cruel. The townspeople elected him because of his zero tolerance policy on crime but his court decisions were suspiciously one-sided. In adult court cases, with connections to organized crime, Judge Ciavarella often found the defendants not guilty and was extremely lenient. However, when children as young as 8 were put before him for childish pranks, fighting with their parents, or trespassing on private property they were sent away to wilderness camps or detention centers. As families and reporters became distraught with the vanishing youth of Luzerne County the investigation into the new detention center raised concerns about the judge and his involvement in the county's history of corruption.   

Critical Evaluation

    As a parent, I do not know how these families survived the hardship Judge Ciavarella put them through. They went in expecting their children to get a slap on the wrist, maybe community service. Instead, their children were shuffled out in irons, without goodbyes, without essential medication. One aspect that the author did not spend too much time on was that a few parents reported their children to the police to make sure their children were sufficiently scared straight after non-violent first offenses. It did not occur to them that by reporting their children they were causing them harm that would follow them for the rest of their lives. In one instance a teen was fighting with his mother often so his father reported him to the juvenile courts hoping to straighten him out. The trauma of his unnecessary incarceration ultimately resulted in suicide.
Even if the children survived mental, physical, or sexual abuse in the detention centers or reform schools they were often labeled as bad children and shunned in their hometowns when they finally managed to get home. The courts failed these children but so did many of their support systems. Interestingly, the town itself was so steeped in corruption from its' coal mining era that no one raised an eyebrow that Judge Conahan was meeting for breakfast with a mafia boss regularly, and court cases were overwhelmingly decided in the favor of his associates. The silence in the courts was a mix of loyalty and fear and to see law centers and judges seek justice at the highest levels and be denied because of conflicts of interests was disheartening. 

Creative Use for a Library Program

  Youth Court: With your teen group, role play various court cases. Use real-life examples of trials that have occurred in juvenile courts. Rotate roles of judge, lawyers, bailiffs, defendants, court reporters, jurors etc. Allow the teens to debate each other in front of a jury of their peers. Choose at least one example from Luzerne County Courthouse as featured in Shackled: a tale of wronged kids, rogue judges, and a town that looked away. After judges and jurors have made their decision reveal the real-life sentencing and see how similar or dissimilar it is. Give each defendant one card featuring a constitutional right they should use for their hearing. For example, the right to remain silent or the right to counsel. 

Book Talk

  Judge Mark Ciavarella, Judge Michael Conahan, developer Robert Mericle, and personal injury lawyer Robert Powell came together to build a new youth detention center. That might not look too bad, but with Judge Conahan sitting as president judge and Judge Ciavarella ruling the juvenile courts, they managed to get the county to pay for the construction of the site and the continued costs of operation. Every child in a bed translated into money in their pocket, and suddenly Judge Ciavarella saw every childish prank as a reason for imprisonment for the vulnerable children of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.   
 

Reason for Inclusion

This investigation into a corrupt town focuses on a large population of children who were victimized. A compelling story that focuses on youth is an excellent attention grabber for young adults who avoid non-fiction. Legal proceedings and jargon are sufficiently simplified. Historical context and personal narratives break up the court proceedings into something that is easier to digest. 

Potential Challenges and  Defense Preparation

  This book does not have a history of censorship. It would be very difficult to ban a story that has been investigated by the press and documentary crews prior to this narrative but libraries should always be prepared for a challenge.  The best defense of any library is a strong reconsideration policy.