Reef says “the judge was a lot smarter than I gave her credit for”. How was the judge “smart” with regards to the results of Reef’s sentencing? (Chapter 26)

Reef was angry at the judge at first. He thought it was a "power trip" that she was on. Reef now understood that telling his story to others would be theraputic to him: difficult but mentally healthy for him. He would also reach other kids and help them reflect on their own experiences.