Lockdown

Here is the book summary courtesy of Goodreads.com:

It seems as if the only progress that's going on at Progress juvenile facility is moving from juvy jail to real jail. Reese wants out early, but is he supposed to just sit back and let his friend Toon get jumped? Then Reese gets a second chance when he's picked for the work program at a senior citizens' home. He doesn't mean to keep messing up, but it's not so easy, at Progress or in life. One of the residents, Mr. Hooft, gives him a particularly hard time. If he can convince Mr. Hooft that he's a decent person, not a criminal, maybe he'll be able to convince himself.

My Review:

This book gave me a new view on the way the U.S. prison system works. Reese has been arrested for stealing drugs because he needed the money. The story tells about his live in a juvenile facility. It discusses how most of the kids who live in Progress, which is located in New York City, are from families who have never had a college graduate from their homes or a day that they could feel truly safe. Most of the kids have family members who do drugs. They are trying to find a way to fit into society. However, when they go the wrong way they are put into prison. Many of them will spend their time in and out of prison for the rest of their lives.   Reese believes that there is nothing he can do in his life after he gets out of prison. He has a nine- year- old sister named Isis, who he loves dearly, and a younger brother. His mother is an alcoholic, although she tries to hide it. The reason Reese feels so disheartened is because he thinks that no one will hire him. He will never be able to make a life for himself because he has a record. The best part of this story is that in the end he decides that instead of making a life purely for himself, he will do all he can to make a life for someone else. Personally, I found the everyday life in the prison intriguing. There were prison gangs, who beat up the younger kids, as well as rough prison workers. It also described the disgusting food and the techniques that the prison workers used for punishment. There was a lot of language in this book, but I think it fit with the theme. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It gave me a new view on prison life and what happens after the prisoners get out.

Stars: 3.5 out of 5