Meaning of The Hill

The nickname for Hillcrest, the San Mateo County Juvenile Hall. David is taken to the Hill after he is in trouble for being part of a plan to burn down a school. When David learns that his mother is working to have him committed to a mental hospital, he becomes a model student at the Hill. Though he's released after 100 days, he says that he is almost reluctant to leave. He knows what's expected of him and how to survive, but worries that he'll get drawn into a bad situation again on the "outside".