The Jailing of Cecelia Capture is a novel by Janet Campbell Hale and is semi-autobiographical. The story centers on a mixed-race (Native American and white) woman named Cecelia living in the San Francisco Bay area. She has just been arrested for driving while intoxicated. The first theme, which is prominent throughout the book, is the conditioning of a woman's psyche by the society around her and how this impacts her self-image.

This is illustrated and articulated by the protagonist whilst getting her mugshots taken. While this is happening, she automatically thinks about her appearance. She concludes that this is due to society's—mainly composed of the entertainment industry, advertising, the fashion industry, and the opinions of men—propagation of how women should look.

Another theme of the book is the discrimination and disfranchisement that indigenous peoples in the United States face. This is illustrated by how Cecelia's white mother's family shunned her indigenous lineage. Cecelia's mother, who was emotionally abusive, would also make hurtful remarks about her dark complexion.

A sub-theme of this greater theme is the collection of issues found in Indian reservations, where alcoholism, sexual and physical abuse, and suicides are prevalent, due to the trauma and lack of resources forced onto tribes by the white people who created the reservation system.

Another theme is the struggle of single mothers in modern America. Cecelia had to struggle as a young single mother during the Vietnam War era after her first child's father died in combat.