The video opens with a brief description of the Hope Academy's program. It is an educational and treatment program that includes residential housing for participants. It is offered as an option to juveniles in lieu of more traditional juvenile justice processing. The case histories of two residents are presented through video interviews with the residents in various settings at progressive time periods in their residential stay at Hope Academy. One resident profiled is Raoul, who, prior to coming to Hope Academy, had a history of fire-setting, drug use, verbal and physical aggression, and car theft. After being arrested for car theft and placed on probation, he was rejected by at least nine residential schools because of his aggressive and threatening behavior. He was admitted to Hope Academy at the age of 14. At Hope Academy, his problem behaviors gradually diminished, and he became more cooperative with his teachers and eventually enrolled as a part-time student at a local high school. The skills he acquired at Hope Academy and at the high school enabled him to pass his New York Regents Competency Test in reading and writing. Prior to entering Hope Academy, another resident named David was suicidal, preoccupied with demons and death, and engaged in threatening behavior toward parents and others. In addition to using drugs, he set four fires in his residence. After being admitted to Hope Academy at the age of 16, he was removed from all psychotropic medication during his first 4 months and has received none since then. He was placed in Hope Academy's structured, behavioral education and treatment program. David has not threatened suicide or exhibited any aggressive or destructive behavior since July of 1992. His social skills, academic achievements, and work patterns have improved since entering the Academy.