Based on two years of intensive research in a juvenile prison, this study tells the story of youths in a ‘model program, ‘ created after a class action lawsuit for inhumane and illegal practices. It captures their lives inside and outside of prison: from drugs, gangs and criminal behaviour to the realities of families, schools and neighbourhoods. Drawing on experience that encompasses 20 years of juvenile justice research and policy analysis, the authors scrutinize the prison”s attempts to combine accountability and treatment for youths with protection for the public, situating these within the larger social and political context.