Esmeralda Quipp is an 80-year-old actress who can no longer find work. She's behind on her rent, she has no money for food, and her cat just died. When she’s arrested for attempting to bury him in her landlord's yard, she finds a sense of community, not to mention free room and board, within the prison system.

But when her well-meaning public defender gets the charges dropped, Esmerelda buys a toy gun at the local dollar store and commits armed robbery. Even though she pleads guilty so she’s sure to be convicted, the system wants to forgive her because of her age and general health, but all she wants is to be imprisoned for life.