The Imprisoned

The Imprisoned is a dystopian novel set in a future society devastated by economic collapse and social fragmentation, known as the Holoconomic Era. The story centers on the experiences of prisoners within the Correctional Decontamination Center (C.D.C.), a massive, windowless prison complex surrounded by a vast, walled Wilderness where the most dangerous or unwanted inmates are exiled for life. The prison is dehumanizing, with strict surveillance, racial and social segregation, and a culture of fear and mistrust. Inmates are identified by colored wristbands denoting their crimes and are constantly monitored by implanted trackers in the nape of the neck and followed by hover probes. Rey Amin is arrested for treason and because of that is a "White bander" --- one who wears a white band around his wrist because of treason. Jasp Odle is a "Blue bander" (racial aggression), Jasp is a former drug czar who, after thirteen years in the C.D.C., is paroled and struggles to adapt to the ruined City outside. Turner is a "Green bander" (mass murderer). He is a hardened survivor with a violent past. Victoria Taylor & Norman Hanner are the Head of Security and the Warden, respectively, who are corrupt and self-serving authority figures who maintain control through surveillance, manipulation, and division. The story follows Rey's harrowing journey through the C.D.C. and into the Wilderness, where he must navigate not only the dangers of nature but also the violence and treachery of other exiles. After being released into the Wilderness, Rey teams up with and later separates from other inmates, including the manipulative Reynolds (a spy for the authorities). He eventually meets Tori, a woman born in the Wilderness. Meanwhile, Jasp is released and attempts to rebuild his life in The City marked by alienation and tragedy. The City beyond is bleak, overrun by poverty, pollution, and lawlessness. The novel explores how people retain or lose their humanity and hope under extreme oppression and isolation.