The day after completing his final tattoo, Michael Scofield robbed a bank at gunpoint. After being arrested, he cooperated fully and confessed to the crime. The judge granted his request and sentenced him to five years at Fox River State Penitentiary, located on the outskirts of Chicago.
Michael was assigned to Cell 40 in Cellblock A, where his roommate, Fernando Sucre, volunteered to introduce him to the various inmates. However, Michael only wanted to see one person: his brother, Lincoln Burrows, who had been sentenced to death. To get close to Lincoln, Michael needed to work in the prison factory, which was controlled by John Abruzzi, a former crime boss and now a powerful figure within the prison.
During a visit from his lawyer, Veronica Donovan, Michael urged her not to waste time on his case. He insisted that Lincoln had been framed for the murder of the Vice President's brother and that if she still cherished her past relationship with Lincoln, she should focus on uncovering the truth. Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., Special Agents Hale and Kellerman expressed concerns about Lincoln's impending execution, as Bishop McMorrow was seeking a stay of execution on his behalf.
Abruzzi received news from his associates that someone had discovered the whereabouts of the witness responsible for his imprisonment. At the same time, in the prison infirmary, Dr. Sara Tancredi noticed Michael's unusual reaction to an insulin injection. Michael immediately enlisted the help of "Tweener," another inmate, to obtain the medications he needed to maintain his disguise as a Type 1 diabetic.
Michael eventually succeeded in getting assigned to the prison factory and reunited with his brother. Lincoln believed that escaping was impossible, but Michael revealed the secret hidden within his tattoos: the architectural blueprints of Fox River Penitentiary.