In Sweden, there are 21 special residential homes run by the state with special authorities who provide locked institutional care to youths. Compulsory care is continually reassessed by social services and may last until the young person turns 21 years old. In this article, I explore the voices of eight young persons who have experienced locked institutional care at both emergency and treatment wards at special residential homes in Sweden. I discuss and analyse the premises for youth participation within this care setting, and the young persons’ resistant strategies, by relating to Honneth’s theory of recognition, and concepts from Snyder’s theory of hope. I introduce the concept of “meaningless diligence” to conceptualize the tensions that are invoked in how young people express the importance and outcomes of diligence. Although youths know that they need to actively participate in their care and “behave well” for locked care to end, this diligence is often perceived as unrewarded and overruled by rules and principles on treatment, and youths find it difficult to make their voice heard and to influence their care due to difficulties getting in contact with their responsible social worker and a feeling of invisibility or non-recognition is expressed by youths. The fragmented care system may also cause a lack of willpower to participate in activities in a specific temporary ward.