Punishing the Mentally Ill: A Critical Analysis of Law and Psychiatry

Linking psychiatry and legal practices for civil/criminal confinement of the mentally ill with their often unconscious social control ideology and language, Arrigo (criminal justice, public policy, and psychology, U. of North Carolina-Charlotte) extends Lacan's semiotic framework in a critical theory of punishment in decoding why recent reform efforts have failed. The extensive references include cases cited. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)