Take a story's temperature by studying its tone. Is it hopeful? Cynical? Snarky? Playful?
Empathetic; Worldly; Hopeful
The characters in Lockdown, especially the inmates, have been harshly judged by society, but the author helps us see past the label of "criminal" and understand what's going on inside their heads.
Reese in particular shows a lot of empathy toward the people around him. Though he has every reason to resent his mother, who is a drug addict and a terrible caretaker, he also recognizes that her circumstances have been difficult. "I wondered if she had been different at one time," he thinks at one point. "Maybe she even thought about being the first woman president. And then, maybe, things just started happening that turned her around. I felt for her, but I wished she was stronger, someone that me and Willis and especially Icy could depend on" (9.23). Pretty generous assessment, right?
Though they're young, Reese and the other inmates know a lot about the way the world works. In a group session where the leader says that potential employers can't ask about the inmates' arrest records, Play tells her the truth: "Did you know that if you don't answer, they won't hire you?" (9.11) Way to know what's up, Play.
On the administrative side, Mr. Cintron, though he works hard for reform, holds no illusions about the obstacles. "I'm supposed to fly up to Albany tonight and plead the case [for a tutoring program] tomorrow, but I know the legislature won't spend the money for it," he tells the inmates at one point. "They're not smart enough" (4.44).
Despite so much dark knowledge, at least some of the characters nurture a certain amount of hope. Mr. Cintron continues to support Reese, even though he messes up several times, and Reese has tentative hope for his own future, even when it looks pretty bleak. The end of the novel, too, feels hopeful—Reese is out of jail, and he seems to be doing pretty well.