Rachel Foster (Linda Haynes) is a country singer traveling alone through the United States. She resists the advances of lecherous bar owner Mat Tibbs (Aldo Ray), and in her hurry to leave town, she accidentally wrecks her car. Looking for assistance, she finds what appears to be an abandoned house - but after stumbling inside the place, she discovers the scene of a grisly multiple homicide perpetrated by a young boy.
As no one believes that the child is responsible for such a horrific act, she is railroaded into a women's correctional facility by the prurient bar owner's brother, Sheriff Tibbs (Jackie Coogan). As well as falsely charged with the murders, the innocent musician now finds herself at the mercy of prison psychiatrist Doctor Kline (Geoffrey Lewis), who has diabolical intentions. Kline has some radical techniques for "curing" criminality, and after a failed escape attempt, she undergoes his 'treatment' and completely loses her mind. After she is rehabilitated, her name is changed to Sarah Jean Walker. Afterwards, the warden gets notice that the boy woke up and confessed to killing his whole family. Klein, to keep Rachel under his thumb and to hide his radical therapy methods, tries to have Rachel kill the warden, but Rachel seems to come to and break the programming. She shoots the office up and seems to wound Klein. Sometime later, Rachel is seen once again singing in a dive bar; however, she now goes by her new name, Sarah Jean Walker.
Martin, John: The Seduction of the Gullible: Curious History of the British "Video Nasties" Phenomenon. Nottingham: Procrustes Press, 1993, page 206. ISBN9780952251002.
