by Jeff Hobbs
First published 2023
Jeff Hobbs examines the American juvenile justice system through the lives of young people caught within it. A bright teenager serves detention in Wilmington, Delaware, weighing the possibility of college against the reality of his imprisonment. An experienced English teacher in juvenile hall balances moments of breakthrough with the statistical likelihood that her students will return. In Paterson, New Jersey, a boy faces hate crime charges after a territorial fight, then seeks friendship and redemption through a demanding skills class in lower Manhattan. Hobbs follows these young people as they navigate the gap between their mistakes and their futures. The author reveals how decisions made at thirteen or fourteen can derail entire life trajectories, making high school completion difficult and middle-class stability nearly unreachable. Through individual stories, Hobbs questions what society owes to young people who have committed serious errors in judgment, exploring how external circumstances and adolescent brain development contribute to their situations.
Genres: crime, juvenile, social-issues, non-fiction
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: real-life-issues, social-commentary
Setting: Wilmington, Delaware, Paterson, New Jersey, Manhattan
Period: 21st-century
381 pages · Kindle Edition · Scribner
Content warnings: violence