Jessica Daily has grown up in a world that has turned to dust. Climate change and natural disasters have reduced the world to a perpetual desert. Food is scarce and feeding her family is never far from her mind. Luckily for her, the government, along with Alba Corp., has created a voluntary imprisonment program where people can choose to exchange a set amount of freedom in exchange for food for their families. Most people give up three to six months of their life, but some have been known to give up years. Jessica soon finds out that things are never as simple as they appear, and being imprisoned is not a walk in the park, whether it is voluntary or not.