Throughout the book, Humes repeatedly refers to the futility of the juvenile-justice system, criticizing many aspects of it that all seem to work together to cripple the system itself. Humes discusses the idea that the juvenile-justice system seems to be working against itself, thwarting its own attempts to affect change in kids’ lives. One of the problems that Humes discusses is the lack of consistency evident within the system itself:

Odds are a repeat offender will get a different judge, a new lawyer, another prosecutor, and a new series of probation officers […] most judges and lawyers haven’t the time or inclination to read anything in the file beyond the most recent piles of paper […] A ward’s history before the court is often ignored or misplaced (190).

This lack of consistency seems to be built into the very fabric of the juvenile-justice system, ensuring that kids are not treated equitably and allowing many of their futures to be held in fate’s hands. However, even though Humes argues that much of the relative success of the juvenile-justice system—or rather, its futility in punishing and accidental rehabilitation—stems from fate, the reality is that much of a kid’s fate has to do with his or her socioeconomic status.