Michael Scofield is a desperate man in a desperate situation. His brother, Lincoln Burrows, has been convicted of a sensational murder and subsequently put on death row in the Fox River State Penitentiary. Despite the overwhelming evidence against Lincoln Michael is convinced of his innocence. With no other options and time running out Michael holds up a bank to get himself sent down alongside his brother. Not just content to wile away the hours until Lincoln's execution Michael hatches a plan, helped in no small part by his skills as a structural engineer. With the blueprints to the prison in his possession Michael plots an elaborate escape to break out Lincoln and prove his brother was framed.