The United States imprisons more than two million men and women in federal prisons and city, county, and state jails. More than 150,000 individuals are incarcerated in each of the states of California and Texas. Calling attention to the flaws in the justice system, The Prisoners of Allred tells the stories of five enhoused in Texas state units. Author Finbar Manghan, who has served as a volunteer chaplain in six Texas state prison Units, looks at the cases of the five who were incarcerated for a combined period of eighty years. Two were white, two were black, and one was Hispanic. Three of them claimed to be innocent, while two admitted their guilt; all were serving sentences that could be considered "terminal". One is very likely innocent and another is certainly innocent. The experiences of all of them have been tragic.

The Prisoners of Allred addresses a host of issues related to the men's stories, including false imprisonment, medical mistreatment, misrepresentation of self due to life's humiliations, mental harassment, medical bungling, and betrayal. Manghan reviews the court and prison experiences of these men and explores the need for reform throughout the criminal justice system in America.