The Circle Justice system works for Cole and allows him to reach a place of healing, eventually enabling him to help Peter as well. How might the outcome of Cole’s story have been different if he’d gone to prison?

Prison would have meant punishment rather than healing. The fact is, if Cole had been tried and convicted as an adult he would have been in a far different place. He's only 15, and he's a spoiled 15....... that's huge. Everyone has always bailed him,out of trouble...... people can't bail you out in an adult prison, and bad things happen to young boy. That's not a secret.