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The Prison
HUMAN CRIME.
INHUMAN PUNISHMENT.
The New Rome Correctional Institute, better known as "The Hill" in the Massachusetts town that surrounds it, wasn't always a prison. It was once an asylum for the mentally ill, where therapies were thinly veiled tortures, and the afflicted rarely recovered. But the institution's most notorious incident occurred when the patients turned against their captors, setting many of the buildings on fire, and killing numerous staff members. For nearly twenty years it sat vacant before its reconstruction to house criminals...
Tim Saget is fresh from the correctional officers' training facility as the newest recruit to walk the halls of The Hill. But he's been there before - in disturbing dreams that have him wandering through the building's eerie corridors. Even stranger is the increasingly erratic behavior of the inmates, who appear to be suffering varying degrees of madness.
As a dense, suffocating fog rolls in to enshroud the facility, Tim begins to uncover The Hill's darkest secrets - one more horrific than the next. It is now terrifyingly clear that the prisoners are channeling the spirits of the patients who once lived there. They want freedom just as much as their human hosts do - and they believe Tim is their key...
INHUMAN PUNISHMENT.
The New Rome Correctional Institute, better known as "The Hill" in the Massachusetts town that surrounds it, wasn't always a prison. It was once an asylum for the mentally ill, where therapies were thinly veiled tortures, and the afflicted rarely recovered. But the institution's most notorious incident occurred when the patients turned against their captors, setting many of the buildings on fire, and killing numerous staff members. For nearly twenty years it sat vacant before its reconstruction to house criminals...
Tim Saget is fresh from the correctional officers' training facility as the newest recruit to walk the halls of The Hill. But he's been there before - in disturbing dreams that have him wandering through the building's eerie corridors. Even stranger is the increasingly erratic behavior of the inmates, who appear to be suffering varying degrees of madness.
As a dense, suffocating fog rolls in to enshroud the facility, Tim begins to uncover The Hill's darkest secrets - one more horrific than the next. It is now terrifyingly clear that the prisoners are channeling the spirits of the patients who once lived there. They want freedom just as much as their human hosts do - and they believe Tim is their key...
429 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 17, 2023
At times I really loved this, but Gates really dragged this one out and managed to toss in a wide range of old tropes as if to see what would stick. The good: awesome setting. The titular Prison sits in Central Massachusetts and began as an asylum, which like many were shut down in the 80s due to federal cuts (thanks Reagan!). The "New Rome Correctional Institute" opened later and now holds some 300 prisoners, ranging from low to max security. A brief aside. I lived in Northampton, Mass for several years and just west of town is a huge, old and abandoned asylum that really is spooky as hell. Here is a link if GR will let it work:
https://www.nps.gov/places/northampto...
It looked like the main building was erected in the 19th century; a massive brick edifice set on hundreds of acres. This was surrounded by several more recent buildings, all connected via underground tunnels, just like what Gates envisioned in this novel. It also had dozens of houses surrounding it that must have belonged to the staff. I also had a community garden plot at what used to be the asylum's farm. Riding my bike around the place was eerie; like a neutron bomb site! So, I loved this part! What could go wrong with making an old asylum into a prison?
This starts off with a bang as we are introduced to correctional officer (e.g., a screw) who on the night shift has a horrible vision and basically loses it. But was it a vision? Lots of folks seem to have strange and horrible dreams about the place, and sleeping there makes it worse. So, we know the place is haunted, but by what? These are not the type of ghosts that go bump in the night; one of the next victims (another screw) is horribly raped, or was she? See the pattern?
After some time we meet our main protagonist, Tim Saget, who is basically a fuck up. He knocks up his girlfriend and decides to marry her, but needs a new job. Luckly, his old man knows some folks at New Rome, and once Tim takes a short course, he gets a job there. Tim is a pretty hard character to feel any sympathy for, however. He has some degree of psychic ability (often he has 'premonitions' in dreams) and an old dream, a nightmare really, keeps popping up and it turns out to be of New Rome. Yet, he is basically a fuck up with little empathy for anyone. So it goes.
Lovely setting, decent characters and I was digging this, but Gates really drew this one out. It felt like he author thought of 10 different endings, could not decide on which one to use, so basically included them all, and even tossed in some 'injun mojo/foo'. It became increasingly hard to suspend my sense of disbelief as the story progressed. A good editor would have really helped, but hey, this is a Kensington publication after all. Started as a strong 4, devolved into maybe a 2, so 3 stars it is.
https://www.nps.gov/places/northampto...
It looked like the main building was erected in the 19th century; a massive brick edifice set on hundreds of acres. This was surrounded by several more recent buildings, all connected via underground tunnels, just like what Gates envisioned in this novel. It also had dozens of houses surrounding it that must have belonged to the staff. I also had a community garden plot at what used to be the asylum's farm. Riding my bike around the place was eerie; like a neutron bomb site! So, I loved this part! What could go wrong with making an old asylum into a prison?
This starts off with a bang as we are introduced to correctional officer (e.g., a screw) who on the night shift has a horrible vision and basically loses it. But was it a vision? Lots of folks seem to have strange and horrible dreams about the place, and sleeping there makes it worse. So, we know the place is haunted, but by what? These are not the type of ghosts that go bump in the night; one of the next victims (another screw) is horribly raped, or was she? See the pattern?
After some time we meet our main protagonist, Tim Saget, who is basically a fuck up. He knocks up his girlfriend and decides to marry her, but needs a new job. Luckly, his old man knows some folks at New Rome, and once Tim takes a short course, he gets a job there. Tim is a pretty hard character to feel any sympathy for, however. He has some degree of psychic ability (often he has 'premonitions' in dreams) and an old dream, a nightmare really, keeps popping up and it turns out to be of New Rome. Yet, he is basically a fuck up with little empathy for anyone. So it goes.
Lovely setting, decent characters and I was digging this, but Gates really drew this one out. It felt like he author thought of 10 different endings, could not decide on which one to use, so basically included them all, and even tossed in some 'injun mojo/foo'. It became increasingly hard to suspend my sense of disbelief as the story progressed. A good editor would have really helped, but hey, this is a Kensington publication after all. Started as a strong 4, devolved into maybe a 2, so 3 stars it is.
September 3, 2019
This is the first book I've read by R. Patrick Gates but it won't be the last. "The Prison" is a MUST READ for horror fans! Not your average ghost story, these spirits do more than just "go bump in the night"! The author provides plenty of visual descriptions that wreak havoc on the imagination. Several scenes had me cringing as I read them and once or twice I had to put down the book and take a mental break after a particular scene left me thinking, "Oh no he didn't!" But he does and he does it well!
I would definitely recommend "The Prison" to anyone looking for a sleepless night or two. The characters are great, the plot is amazing and "Good Old Doc"....absolutely depraved!
Definitely not for the weak stomached or faint of heart...
I would definitely recommend "The Prison" to anyone looking for a sleepless night or two. The characters are great, the plot is amazing and "Good Old Doc"....absolutely depraved!
Definitely not for the weak stomached or faint of heart...
July 18, 2011
I admit that while reading this book I actually gagged, twice. Yeah some pretty damn good descriptions going on in here. The content freaky at times sure but a damn good read!! Once you get started you can't put it down. A lot of what happens/happened you can see happening in early mental institutions where the cure was quite often worse than the disease and that kind of Torment, anguished energy is indeed likely to be left behind. Adding in the energy of people either struggling with what they have done or in denial of any wrong doing once the building is remodeled into a prison leaves it ripe for mayham. I love this book.
July 29, 2013
Feeling pretty proud with myself that I managed to get past the scene where the woman with the gaping vagina, who needs a man with a massive cock to satisfy her, gets raped to death while still managing multiple orgasms. Yes, it's *that* kind of book.
Didn't finish, so no idea if it got any better than that. The setting was pretty creepy.
Didn't finish, so no idea if it got any better than that. The setting was pretty creepy.
December 21, 2012
meh the beginning was pretty boring and I almost just gave up, but then it picked up a bit in the middle so I decided to see it thouogh. Unfortunately, I just could not finish the book. I had zero interest in the book so skipped the last 50 pages.
March 25, 2010
This book ended 5 times before the book actually ended! Awful book after the first half was over.
November 12, 2010
Great and spooky read.
January 13, 2020
Just finnished The Prison by R. Patrick Gates Not really a ghost story guy myself but this book was great ... Now starting Stronger Than Hate
February 5, 2022
Certain aspects of this one don't really hold up to the test of time - general racism, non-PC about Native American culture, and cultural appropriation of the wendigo. With that being said, it's still one of Gates better novels, up there with the Grimm books. It's a wild ride from start to finish.
February 26, 2019
Spellbinding
A real page Turner you don't want to put down or close your eyes. Excellent read and suspenseful story. Can't wait to read more of this author.
A real page Turner you don't want to put down or close your eyes. Excellent read and suspenseful story. Can't wait to read more of this author.
July 14, 2009
Not bad. This is the only book I've read by this author, and while I won't necessarily seek out more of his work, I will certainly pick it up if I find it used/cheap. Very graphic horror and entertaining but overly long - no need to repeat the same phenomenon with every prisoner.
July 30, 2011
Very graphic and disturbing book. Not for the squeamish. Great read though. I couldn't put it down once I started!!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews