WHEN IT HAPPENED, the heartrending drama at Convict Lake made international headlines. It was the most significant event to occur there since 1871 when a real-life Wild West shootout earned Convict Lake its name. In addition to the powerful and page-turning emergency, the events that led up to the Convict Lake rescue reveal a larger story that continues to haunt our affairs today. It is a story of bureaucratic ineffectiveness, abuse, greed and troubled juveniles. It is a story of law enforcement, fire and rescue, privatization and public policy. The book Convict Lake answers the question of...