An expose of the mental-health crisis in America's courts and prisons reveals that nearly half of the nation's inmates are actually afflicted by a psychiatric problem, examines how inmates are denied treatment, and suggests a more humane approach.

Introduction -- Part I.Ensnared : how we got here. Jail is the only safe place ; The largest psych ward in America ; The asylum fallacy -- Part II. Locked up : what happens inside. Jail as hospital ; Destined to fail ; Sanctioned torture ; Better off dead ; Guilty by reason of insanity -- Part III. Breaking free : toward a better way. Inside out ; The cycle ; Shooting the victim ; The good-cop solution ; Disorder in the court -- Conclusion -- Epilogue.