Part 3, Chapter 15, Lost Causes, Chapter 16, The Ins, Chapter 17, The Outs Summary and Analysis

Chapter 15 opens with a somber writer class. A young new member, Rodrigo "Stranger" Becessar reads a poem before being taken away.

Humes complains that the juvenile justice system combines procedural excess with a lack of consequences. The system fluctuates from being too lax and being too hard. He then introduces Sherry Gold, a talented defense attorney who takes care of her young clients, tries to get them help. She performs her own investigations to help her clients. Humes talks about her case of Leon Jones, who was thought to be guilty until Gold's investigation made it clear he was not.

It becomes clear to Beckstrand that Hugh is not guilty either. He actually had a mental disorder and the witnesses against him were...