Editing Arkham Asylum (section)

== History ==
Located in [[Gotham City]], Arkham Asylum is where Batman's foes who are considered to be mentally ill are brought as patients (other foes are incarcerated at [[Blackgate Penitentiary]]). Although it has had numerous administrators, some comic books have featured [[Jeremiah Arkham]]. Inspired by the works of [[H. P. Lovecraft]], and in particular his fictional city of [[Arkham]], Massachusetts,<ref name="Unauthorised">{{cite book |title=Batman Unauthorized: Vigilantes, Jokers, and Heroes in Gotham City |first=Dennis |last=O'Neil |publisher=BenBella Books |year=2008 |page=[https://archive.org/details/batmanunauthoriz0000unse/page/111 111] |isbn=978-1-933771-30-4 |url=https://archive.org/details/batmanunauthoriz0000unse/page/111 }}</ref><ref name="Dark Age">{{cite book |title=The Dark Age: Grim, Great & Gimmicky Post-Modern Comics |first1=Mark |last1=Voger |first2=Kathy |last2=Voglesong |page=5 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |year=2006 |isbn=1-893905-53-5}}</ref> the asylum was introduced by [[Dennis O'Neil]] and [[Irv Novick]] and first appeared in ''Batman'' #258 (October 1974); much of its history was established by [[Len Wein]] during the 1980s.

Arkham Asylum has a poor security record and high [[recidivism]] rate, at least with regard to the high-profile cases—patients, such as the [[Joker (character)|Joker]], are frequently shown escaping at will—and those who are considered to no longer be mentally unwell and discharged tend to re-offend. Several of its staff are corrupt or insane.

Gotham criminals deemed "criminally insane" or "mentally unfit" by the court of law are treated at Williams Medical Center before being deemed dangerous enough to be sent to Arkham Asylum.<ref name="Laugh">{{Cite comic | writer= [[Ed Brubaker|Brubaker, Ed]] |artist=[[Doug Mahnke|Mahnke, Doug]] |colorist=[[David Baron (comics)|Baron, David]] | letterer=Leigh, Rob |title=[[Batman: The Man Who Laughs]]| date=February 2005 | publisher=DC Comics}}</ref>