THE TRADITIONAL ARGUMENTS AGAINST PRISONS ARE REVIEWED. THE CURRENT EMPHASIS ON DECRIMINALIZATION, DIVERSION, DESTIGMATIZATION, AND DECARCERATION IS EXAMINED. IT IS POINTED OUT THAT EVEN THE MOST AVID REFORMERS ADMIT THAT HARD CORE CRIMINALS COULD NOT BE HANDLED BY COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVES OR DECRIMINALIZATION. EVEN RUDIMENTARY ATTEMPTS TO DECARCERATE HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THE PRISON TRADITION IS FIRMLY ENTRENCHED AND COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVES DO NOT EXIST. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT PROBATION WOULD NOT BE A VIABLE COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVE WERE IT NOT FOR THE THREAT OF INCARCERATION BEHIND THE SUPERVISION. IT IS ALSO POINTED OUT THAT PRISONS EXIST NOT ONLY FOR 'REHABILITATION,' BUT ALSO FOR PUNISHMENT AND TO LET SOCIETY ESTABLISH ITS NORMS. THE CASE OF THE WHITE COLLAR CRIMINAL IS USED AN AN EXAMPLE. WHILE THE POOR, MINORITY STREET CRIMINAL CAN BE DISMISSED FROM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM WITHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY AFFECTING SOCIETY'S VIEWS OF WHAT IS RIGHT, PRISONS ARE ESSENTIAL IF SOCIETY IS TO HAVE A SUITABLE PUNISHMENT FOR POLITICIANS WHO EXTORT, CON ARTISTS, AND OTHERS NOT DETERRED BY LESS SUBTLE MEANS. SINCE PRISONS MERELY REPLACED OVERSEAS PENAL COLONIES, BANISHMENT FROM THE COMMUNITY, WHIPPING, AND HANGING. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT IF PRISONS WERE ABOLISHED, SOCIETY WOULD REPLACE THEM--PROBALY WITH GREATER USE OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, VIGILANTE COMMITTEES, MISUSE OF MENTAL HOSPITALS FOR INDETERMINANT HOLDING OF CRIMINALS, AND SUCH SOPHISTICATED HORRORS AS ELECTRONIC MONITORING OF PROBATIONERS. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (GLR)