Just Let Go - S1-E4
Continuity mistake: When Jake sees Oliver's parents crying at the beginning of the episode, the same few extras walk by them twice in two different shots. Watch for the Asian-American nurse – she's the easiest to spot.
Just Let Go - S1-E4
Revealing mistake: When we see the outside of the hospital in the beginning, as the camera cranes down to see the ambulance, you can see a subtle sort of "blur/feathering" around some of the tree branches and leaves above. The background appears to be added in post, and the foreground tree just wasn't quite blended in properly.
Answer: They were blamed for the death of Jake's foster brother, which was deemed a terrible accident, and they were sent to the reform school as a punishment. Presumably, when they had to leave the reform school given what happened, they were instead given community service as punishment.
TedStixon