Back to the Asylum

Back to the Asylum explains why American mental health law and policy now emphasize `law and order' rather than individualized justice and civil liberties, and why mental health law is currently being reshaped to protect society rather than the mentally ill. The authors demonstrate how rapidly changing American values gave shape to two very different visions of justice for the mentally ill. These changes in the law are examined in their broader social context and the authors offer a provocative analysis of whether these reforms had their intended effect. The book forecasts the future of mental health law and policy as America enters the twenty-first century.