| Shawshank State Prison | |
|---|---|
| Stephen King location | |
 Prison as pictured in film adaptation | |
| First appearance | Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption (1982) |
| Created by | Stephen King |
| Genre | Crime fiction |
| In-universe information | |
| Type | Prison |
Shawshank State Prison is a fictional New England state prison in the state of Maine. It serves as the primary location in the novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King, as well as its subsequent film adaptation. The prison has also been mentioned in several other works by King.
Overview
Shawshank State Prison first appeared in Stephen King's novella entitled Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. The story was originally published in the 1982 short story collection Different Seasons alongside three other novellas, two of which also referenced the prison.
The Shawshank Redemption, a motion picture based on the novella, was released in 1994. The actual building used for filming was the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio.
Shawshank State Prison also appears in several episodes of the Hulu original series Castle Rock. For the series, the showrunners used the West Virginia Penitentiary as the prison. “Part of the reason we chose the prison that we chose to shoot at was we loved the idea that there are houses literally in the shadow of the prison," said showrunner Sam Shaw. "It’s pretty different from the amazing prison in Ohio that they shot for the movie, which stands alone."
Works that reference Shawshank State Prison
| Publication year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Apt Pupil | The novella was originally published in the collection Different Seasons. The story appears alongside Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. |
| The Body | The novella was originally published in the collection Different Seasons. The story appears alongside Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. | |
| 1985 | Nona | Published in Skeleton Crew. |
| The Trap | Novel published by Tabitha King, Stephen King's wife. | |
| 1986 | It | One of the missing children's stepfathers is mentioned as having been incarcerated in Shawshank, a teenaged perpetrator of a hate crime is sentenced to serve a term in Shawshank, and another character is threatened with working in "the lime pit" at Shawshank. |
| 1990 | The Sun Dog | Novella published in Four Past Midnight. |
| 1991 | Needful Things | |
| 1992 | Dolores Claiborne | |
| 1993 | "The Fifth Quarter" | Originally published in the April 1972 issue of Cavalier, "The Fifth Quarter" was later revised and published in the 1993 short story collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes. It's in this latter publication in which the main character mentions that he served time at Shawshank. |
| 1998 | Bag of Bones | |
| 2007 | Blaze | |
| 2009 | Under the Dome | |
| 2010 | A Good Marriage | Novella published in Full Dark, No Stars. |
| 2011 | 11/22/63 | |
| 2018 | Castle Rock | |
| 2020 | Mr. Harrigan's Phone | Novella published in If It Bleeds. |
| 2021 | Later |
In other media
Apart from appearing in the Castle Rock TV series, Shawshank State Prison is also mentioned in two episodes of Haven, and an episode of Murder, She Wrote (“Race to Death,” season 12, episode 21). References to the prison can also be found in works of King's son Joe Hill, including the novel NOS4A2 and the 2019 comic Basket Full of Heads.
The name "Shawshank" is often used in popular culture as a noun to reference a successful prison break. An example of this can be found in the twelfth episode of The Flash's first season. The series features cast members from The Shawshank Redemption, including Clancy Brown and William Sadler.
See also
- Shawshank tree, a white oak tree featured in the 1994 film
References
- Heidenry, Margaret (September 22, 2014). "The Little-Known Story of How The Shawshank Redemption Became One of the Most Beloved Films of All Time". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- Grebey, James (July 24, 2018). "'Castle Rock' Showrunners Reveal the Grim Significance of Shawshank Prison". Inverse. Bustle Digital Group. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- Wiater, Stanley; Golden, Christopher; Wagner, Hank (May 30, 2006). The Complete Stephen King Universe: A Guide to the Worlds of Stephen King (Revised ed.). New York City: St. Martin's Press. pp. 464–465. ISBN 0312324901.
- Melrose, Kevin (June 2, 2019). "Wait, Is AMC's NOS4A2 Set in the Stephen King Universe?". Comic Book Resources. Valnet Inc. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- Paul, Andrew (November 5, 2019). "Hill House: DC's Basketful of Heads Set in the Stephen King Universe". Comic Book Resources. Valnet Inc. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- ""Crazy for You"". The Flash (2014 TV series). Season 1. Episode 12. February 3, 2015. The CW. "Word around here is, Parker pulled a Shawshank?".
- Stanhope, Kate (August 4, 2015). "'Chicago P.D.' Nabs 'The Flash' Vet for Recurring Role (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Valence Media. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- Burlingame, Russ (July 12, 2014). "The Flash Recruits William Sadler to Play Simon Stagg; Metamorpho On the Way?". Comicbook.com. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
