Quincy investigates the death of a young man at a home for people who have comitted a crime but are considered mentally incapable and are therefore not sentenced to proper prison. His mother insists that he was forced to fight by the attendants, who run the place like prison warders, in a unofficial boxing contests against other inmates.

Emily comes to see Quincy about a young 18 year-old boy he has just completed an autopsy on. He died while slamdancing at a punk rock club, killed while dancing to lyrics about death, lack of hope and violence. She had been counseling his girlfriend Abby and is worried about her. Quincy's report declares that the punk music Zack listened to was a part of the cause of his death but the main reason was an ice pick in his back. Punk music and its lyrics come under the spotlight as Quincy tries to find evidence to prove who killed Zack.