[CalRobert]

One thing - can someone explain to me at what point the hospital becomes a prison?

It feels like I'm missing some utter, basic detail because I keep thinking "so why not just pick up your child, even with the hospital complaining, walk out the front door, and go to <wherever you want to go>"?

[lazyasciiart]

Same reason you can't do that when the court says your child needs treatment and you don't want them to have it - the state intervenes on behalf of the child and overrides your parental rights.