The Juvie Three by Gordon Korman

Gecko Fosse drove the getaway car in yet another one of his brother's foolish escapades.  Arjay Moran fought back against bullies, and one was killed accidentally after a punch.  Terence Florian ran with the worst gang in Chicago.  All three are incarcerated in the criminal justice system...that is until they meet Douglas Healy.

Gecko, Arjay, and Terence are released into the custody of Douglas Healy.  Healy has grant "to create a living situation for boys in the juvenile detention system." He will be living with and supervising the trio in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. They will be carefully overseen as they attend a public high school, participate in community service, take part in group counseling, and share the cooking and cleaning. There will be no unsupervised time and no contact with family or old friends for six months.  If one of them messes up, they all go back to juvie.

In an altercation in the middle of the night, the boys accidentally but severely injure Mr. Healy. Leaving him, in a coma, outside the entrance to a nearby emergency room.

From the first sentence, this book captures the reader in a single sitting.  As a special education teacher, I see myself recommending this book for students to read during silent reading.  Middle school or high school literature teachers could work this in a class study of people trying to turn their lives around.  The Juvie Three could be read along with Touching Spirt Bear or The Outsiders.