Punishment is a critical aspect in evaluating the functioning of the state and the legitimacy of its authority. The main punishment in modern societies is imprisonment. What are prisons for? Whom are they meant to benefit? What are their effects? And, most importantly: can they be justified? Decades of empirical research have shown that doing nothing in response to crime has been shown to be just as effective (and considerably cheaper). If the ends are not achieved, the justifications are moot. This study considers the philosophical aftermath: Are we morally obliged to submit to institutions...