True Notebooks: A Writer's Year at Juvenile Hall

Chapter 26 revolves around Kevin's sentencing, and its immediate fallout for Mark and the writing class. In this chapter, Mark comes to terms with the violence of Kevin's crime, and, with it, Kevin's responsibility. Most difficult for Mark is to admit his own naiveté in purposefully refusing to acknowledge his students' crimes, in the belief it would make his job easier. Initially, he blames Kevin, but comes to an understanding. During the sentencing, everyone is surprised by a letter from Mr. Sills, read to vouch for Kevin's character. In the letter, Mr. Sills describes Kevin in glowing tones, writing that "[Kevin] is trustworthy, responsible, and sincere," and that Sills is “convinced that if given the chance Kevin has the tools to become successful in society. I believe Kevin Jackson is an asset to his culture" (309-10). Mark is floored by Mr. Sills’s outpouring, but unfortunately it does not have any measurable effect; Kevin receives the maximum sentence for his crimes—fifty-one years, in total. Mark is initially crushed, but comes to understand Kevin's responsibility for these crimes. The judge, in his decision, says what many of those have thought: "I believe every word that is said. He is a model prisoner. But once he's on the streets with his colleagues, his fellow Bloods, he becomes an animal […] It's almost like there are two individuals. It's tragic” (311). Both to himself, and aloud, Kevin and his students question the value of the writing program, given how little control any of them seem to have over their fates. In class, they ponder the meaning of their actions through this idea of compromised freedom.

By the end of Mark's term, none of the original members of the class are left: all have been sentenced and/or moved to adult correctional facilities. Mark attempts to follow up or check on all of them, but information is not always available. The attitude of Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Sills, and other members of the staff is more resigned to the pain of this kind of turnover, given that their tenure is permanent. Mark struggles to regulate his own emotional investment with this flurry of departures. At the same time, Mark refocuses on his own writing career, finishing the book he had set out to write. During this time, he, along with his friends and family, ponder the value and meaning of his time at Central Juvenile Hall:

It was my father's question all over again. Before I could answer, someone else added, ‘And do you ever worry you might be making their lives harder? I mean, they're facing a brutal environment in prison. You're teaching them to become vulnerable, which is important for life in society, but won't they have to unlearn it to survive where they're going?’ (322).

Later, Mark receives a letter from Kevin. In his letter, Kevin seems to indirectly address many of the concerns Mark has had with respect to the value of his time at Central Juvenile Hall. Naturally, Kevin is struggling to respond to the prospect of so many years in prison, but realizes his own responsibility in enduring this prison term with positively. In a poem, Kevin writes, "I'll use this time to grow/in not one way but all/There's a lot for me to learn/So I'm going to start like a baby, with a crawl" (325).