It is true that if we focus myopically on the existing system. And perhaps this is the problem that leads to the assumption that imprisonment, is the only alternative to death. It is very hard to imagine a structurally similar system capable of handling such a vast population of law breakers. If, however, we shift our attention from the prison perceived as an isolated institution to the set of relationships that comprise the prison industrial complex. It may be easier to think about alternatives. In other words, a more complicated framework may yield more options than if we simply attempt to discover a single substitute for the prison system. The first step, then, would be to let go of the desire to discover one single alternative system of punishment that would occupy the same footprint as the prison system.