Character Analysis
Other Progress Inmates
Reese's fellow inmates, with a few exceptions, are nearly indistinguishable. There's Toon (see: Deepak Trevedi), of course, who Reese looks after. And there's Play, who mostly seems to be around for comic relief. Almost everyone else, including Leon, Diego, and Cobo, is more or less an enemy. Chief among them is King Kong (see: Tarik Sanders). These guys are doing time for everything from shoplifting to murder, and most of them are going nowhere fast.
"Ninety percent of the inmates here aren't going anywhere with their lives and they know it," Mr. Cintron tells Reese. "It's not because they can't, it's because they simply won't. They know it, and every time they see somebody who looks like he might break the cycle and do something with his life, they want to pull him back in" (20.26). Good luck keeping your eyes on the prize with these dudes circling around you, Reese.
Evergreen Staff
True to its hopeful-sounding name, Evergreen is a place where Reese feels truly alive. Part of the reason is that the staff accepts him without judgment. (Their kindness immediately pays off, too, since Reese proves himself to be a hard worker.) We never really get to know the cast of characters there, but we know that Reese is fond of them.
There's Father Santora, who's in charge; Mrs. Silvey, the supervisor; Simi, who Reese works with day to day; and Nancy Opara, an exchange student from Nigeria. Reese treasures these easy relationships because everyone at Progress is so volatile. "At Progress, nobody kidded around with you," Reese says. "Even when you were talking to your friends it could change in a minute" (12.11). Evergreen is a refreshing change of pace for him.
Other Progress Staff
In addition to Mr. Cintron and Mr. Pugh, Reese only interacts with a few other employees at Progress. Mr. Wilson is a guard who seems slightly more friendly and easygoing than Mr. Pugh. Miss Rossetti is Reese's teacher. They're there, but barely—we hear their names once in a while, but that's about it.
Freddy Booker
We never meet Freddy Booker, but we know he's a career criminal to whom Reese sold some stolen prescription pads. Eventually, he ratted Reese out, which is how Reese was caught and imprisoned. Later, he tries to frame Reese for murder, but it doesn't work out.