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Tired–Then and Now

Summary: Tired

As Richard’s case continues to be delayed, Jasmine loses her optimism and, at the courthouse, sits with Darris Young, the social justice organizer, trusting that he will explain everything to her.

Summary: Department 11

A description of Department 11, an intermediary courtroom where cases are assigned dates and plea bargains are accepted. No actual trials occur in Department 11.

Summary: Maybe

Sasha prepares for college and thinks that it will be more difficult to find queer friends at MIT than at Maybeck. They say that they are almost completely healed and do not feel hated, since they have been shown so much support. “I felt like one person hates me—maybe.”

Summary: Suitcase

Sasha packs for college: clothes, an alarm clock, bedsheets, books, compression garments for their scarred legs, and the string of paper cranes made by the students of Oakland High.

Summary: A Prayer

While Sasha is preparing to leave for MIT, Debbie thinks back to the psychologist who diagnosed Sasha with Asperger’s syndrome. After the psychologist told Debbie and Karl to keep their expectations low for Sasha’s future, Debbie and Karl decided to find a different psychologist. In a blog post, Debbie celebrates Sasha’s graduation, and their future at MIT.

Summary: Bargaining

In September 2014, nearly a year after the incident, Richard attends a Department 11 hearing. The district attorney’s office has offered Richard a plea deal: the hate-crime enhancement will be dropped if Richard agrees to an assault charge and a five-year sentence. If Richard accepts the deal, he will be out by his twenty-first birthday. Du Bois tells Richard that it is the best deal that they will get, but Jasmine is extremely frustrated and does not know whom to trust. When Du Bois tells the judge that no deal has been struck yet, the judge gives the parties until December 8, at which time the case will go to trial.

Summary: The Deal

On October 16, Richard attends another hearing. The district attorney’s office has withdrawn its original deal and now offers seven years in state prison. When Du Bois explains what has happened, Richard slumps in his seat. Richard glances at Jasmine and signs the deal.

Summary: The Fine Print

Under the new plea agreement, Richard can still have a reduced sentence of five years. If all of his progress reports from Juvenile Hall are spotless, the judge can reduce his sentence to five years and Richard will not have to be transferred to an adult prison at age eighteen.

Summary: A Structured Environment

Although district attorney Nancy O’Malley does not give a single explanation for why the plea offer changed, the office was tired of the endless continuation. Once Richard was sentenced, he would be transferred to the Division of Juvenile Justice, where he could receive more services than in Juvenile Hall. O’Malley believes that the services, and a structured environment, will be best for Richard.

Summary: Look Where His People Went

Richard’s friend Gerald remembers Richard’s attitude when he returned from Redding: he was full of ambition and wanted to work a job and be productive. After the incident, two of Richard’s friends were placed in adult prison for carjacking and home invasion robberies. Cherie believes that Richard would have been swept up in similar crimes if he had continued to stay around those friends.

Summary: Victim-Impact Statement

In November, Debbie reads a victim-impact statement at Richard’s sentencing. When Debbie describes the painful skin grafts and the challenges that Sasha has faced since the incident, Richard cries. Debbie says that she hopes Richard will learn from the experience, and maybe someday, he will come to the aid of someone who is being bullied. Afterward, Debbie and Karl express concern for Richard’s future, hoping that he “doesn’t get crushed.”

Summary: Nerd Fraternity

At MIT, Sasha joins Epsilon Theta and moves into the fraternity house. Sasha describes the group as a fraternity in name only: it is a haven for like-minded nerds. The members happily change the labels on the bathrooms to accommodate agender members. Sasha is happy at MIT, having found a group of friends. The incident is a distant memory.

Summary: How It Ended Up

Cherie reflects on her group of friends and their decisions. Skeet is dead, Ashley is a mother, and Hadari, Jessie, and Richard are all in prison. Cherie says that it was karma; they should not have been cutting school and getting into fights.

Summary: Mail Delivery

In January of 2015, Sasha finally receives Richard’s two letters. Karl and Debbie both express that they wish they had seen them sooner. Debbie would have read a different statement to Richard, had she known how he felt.

Summary: Chad

In January of 2015, Richard is transferred to the N. A. Chaderjian Youth Correctional Facility, known as Chad.

Summary: Opportunity

Excerpts from the Youth Rights Handbook distributed by the Division of Juvenile Justice. The handbook explains the rights and expectations for inmates, what will be supplied to them, and which items are considered contraband. There is also a section about the different types of searches inmates are subject to.

Summary: Then and Now

A review of the recent history of California Juvenile Justice Division facilities. In the span of ten years, approximately from 2005 to 2015, California’s facilities went from some of the worst in the nation to some of the best. The number of incarcerated youths dropped from 10,000 to 700, and the facilities and programs themselves were completely redesigned in 2006. “The atmosphere at Chad is relaxed and informal, more like a school than a prison.” Instead of a system based on punishments, the facility uses incentives and rewards to motivate successful behavior.

Analysis: Tired–Then and Now

This section continues to demonstrate the ways in which making connections between people is important and valuable. Sasha is able to move on from the incident, and they and their family turn to building connections with others. As Sasha moves to college, they are uncertain how they, as an agender person, will be received. However, they find a welcoming environment and new connections to the world. Sasha’s parents also try to connect with Richard at one of his hearings when they read a victim-impact statement explaining the effect the attack had on Sasha, and their hope that Richard will be able to change. Although upset by Richard’s actions, they worry about him and wish things had turned out differently. At this point, Sasha’s family does not know that Richard previously wrote letters to Sasha, apologizing and trying to forge his own connections. When she reads the letters, Debbie finds that Richard’s apology strikes a chord with her. The two of them are able to connect and find some common ground, in spite of the attack.

Although his case moves slowly and confusingly, there are some positives for Richard. The narrator describes how resources for juveniles in California have improved greatly in the past few years. Although Richard’s facility, “Chad,” looks unpleasant and dreary, the narrator calls the chapter “Opportunity,” a nod to the idea that the facility offers structure and a chance to avoid adult prison. Even Richard’s friends note the violence that as consumed the lives of many of their peers, and agree that he might have been drawn into a worse life if left on his own. In some ways, the juvenile facility shields him from the chaos of the world outside that once threatened to consume him. Separated from the pull of negative influences, Richard has a chance to turn his life away from violence.

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