Robert is a twelve-year-old boy living in Gracetown, Florida. He possesses a supernatural sensitivity that allows him to see ghosts, which he refers to as haints. After he kicks a white teenager who is harassing his sister, he is unjustly sentenced to six months at the brutal Gracetown School for Boys. He must learn to survive the harsh conditions of the prison while managing his unique abilities.

Gloria is Robbie's older sister. She works as a cook and cleaner for a wealthy local family to provide financial support. She experiences sudden premonitions of the future. When the legal system fails her brother, she takes it upon herself to find lawyers and arrange his freedom.

Warden Haddock is the sadistic superintendent of the Gracetown School for Boys. He operates the reformatory like a personal prison, using violence and isolation cells to maintain total control. He takes an active interest in Robbie's supernatural abilities to serve his own hidden agenda concerning the school's past.

Miz Lottie is Gloria's godmother. She owns a truck and provides transportation and shelter for Gloria during her legal battles. She holds strong religious faith and practical wisdom about surviving in the Jim Crow South.

Robert is Gloria and Robbie's father. He works as a union organizer but currently lives as a fugitive in Chicago. He fled Gracetown after a white mob burned his house and falsely accused him of a crime. His absence leaves his children vulnerable to the corrupt local justice system.

Miss Anne is the daughter of a late Gracetown councilman and Gloria's employer. She hides her secret romantic relationship from her conservative family. She uses her wealth and social status to secretly fund Gloria's legal expenses.

Boone is a Black dorm master at the Reformatory. He enforces the warden's strict rules with physical violence. He actively hunts ghosts on the prison grounds using grave dust.

Redbone is a Black boy serving time at the Reformatory. He meets Robbie during kitchen duty and teaches him the daily routines. He shows fierce loyalty and willingly endures physical punishment to protect his friends.

Blue is a boy who forms a complex bond with Robbie at the Reformatory. He dislikes the warden and asks Robbie for help exposing the school's dark history. He occasionally plays tricks on the other boys in the freezer.

Crutcher is a dorm master at the school. He carries out the warden's orders and manages the boys in the bunk rooms. He initially doubts the rumors about ghosts haunting the campus.

Mrs. Hamilton is the director of the Black marching band at the school and Crutcher's sister. She recognizes Robbie's musical talent and teaches him to play the trumpet. She tries to protect Robbie from the administration's cruelty.

Mr. Loehmann is a social worker originally from New York. He drives Robbie to the Reformatory in a transport truck. He attempts to offer realistic advice about surviving the sentence but remains cautious about intervening directly due to local prejudices against his family.

Lyle is a white teenager whose family runs a turpentine camp. He flirts aggressively with Gloria on her way to school. His actions initiate the physical altercation that leads to Robbie's arrest.

Red is Lyle's father and a wealthy landowner. He strikes Robbie in the head during the street conflict. He uses his influence to ensure Robbie receives harsh treatment at the prison.

Judge Morris is the local magistrate in Gracetown. He presides over Robbie's hearing and hands down a six-month sentence. He refuses to consider the context of the street fight or Robbie's lack of legal representation.

Channing is a law student and Miss Anne's romantic partner. She meets with Gloria in secret to evaluate the legal obstacles in Robbie's case and explains the town's political motivations.

Uncle June is Miz Lottie's grandnephew. He previously worked as a janitor at the Reformatory until the traumatic environment forced him to resign. He uses his knowledge of the campus layout to assist Gloria.

John is a lawyer working for the NAACP. He travels to the courthouse to formally petition for a reduction in Robbie's sentence.

Harry is the state president of the NAACP. He works alongside John Dorsey to challenge discriminatory laws and advocates for Robbie's release.

Ruby is a wealthy Black woman. She allows Gloria and Miz Lottie to use her laundry as a cover story to evade police harassment on the road.

Sheriff Posey is the local law enforcement officer in Gracetown. He harasses the residents of Lower Spruce and enables the violence of the local Ku Klux Klan.

Cleo is an older boy incarcerated at the Reformatory. He bullies Robbie in the classroom and the kitchen to assert his dominance.

Waymon is Gloria's cousin. He monitors the Stephens family property and rescues a family photograph from a fire.

Colonel is Warden Haddock's favored bloodhound. The dog is specifically trained to track missing boys who attempt to escape the prison grounds.

Old Lady Powell is Miss Anne's great-grandmother. She vividly remembers a deadly fire that occurred at the Reformatory in 1920.