Some of the less visited corners of the old section also contains vermin such as Barnacles, Headcrabs and Zombies, which further illustrates the fact that the Combine care little for the older section. This section exhibits many signs of disrepair and disuse, such as flooding forming in the sub-basements. The Combine, while they may have used the old prison prior to the introduction of the newer facilities, appear to have made little use of this particular area, as they progressively moved all Combine-related facilities and processes into the new section of the massive complex. The old section of the building follows the motif of a communist gulag-styled maximum security prison, riddled with open confinement chambers (useless to the Combine), labeled cell blocks, offices, and large shower and maintenance facilities. The original prison (Nova Prospekt itself) Nova Prospekt is separated into two parts as illustrated respectively in the two chapters of the game titled Nova Prospekt and Entanglement.

1.1 The original prison (Nova Prospekt itself).

Nova Prospekt can translate into 'New Possibilities' (Nova is derivative of the Latin word 'Novus' meaning new, while Prospekt is old western slang for Possibility) The facility is used to process prisoners, and turn them into Stalkers or Combine Soldiers. Other people known to be detained include political prisoners, Resistance fighters, and troublesome citizens.

During Half-Life 2, it is used to contain Eli Vance, after he was captured by the Combine during a raid on Black Mesa East. Prior to Combine occupation, it was a high-security penitentiary located not too far from City 17, however it was later acquired by Overwatch, and used as a facility to process and detain Citizens who were determined to be a threat - so called 'anti-citizens'. It is played through two chapters set between the Coast and the City 17 uprising chapters, Nova Prospekt and Entanglement. Nova Prospekt is a Combine detainment facility featured in Half-Life 2. 'It used to be a high security prison - it's something much worse than that now.' ― Alyx Vance

Half life nova prospekt