▁the ▁other ▁c ops . ▁His ▁care ▁for ▁the ▁in m ates ▁and ▁lack ▁of ▁similarity ▁to ▁the ▁other ▁c ops , ▁who ▁have ▁many ▁more ▁years ▁of ▁experience , ▁gives ▁a ▁sense ▁that ▁individuals ▁who ▁are ▁given ▁power ▁learn ▁to ▁take ▁advantage ▁of ▁it ▁and ▁the ▁prison ▁system ▁has ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁transform ▁out s iders ▁like ▁Michael ▁into ▁ab users ▁such ▁as ▁De ase ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁officers ▁in ▁this ▁film . ▁ ▁Production ▁Prior ▁to ▁shooting ▁the ▁film , ▁director ▁Bar net te ▁research ed ▁the ▁female ▁prison ▁complex ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁determine ▁the ▁style ▁of ▁in m ates ▁and ▁film ▁she ▁wanted ▁to ▁create . ▁She ▁interview ed ▁women ▁in m ates ▁from ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁and ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁forced ▁the ▁actress es ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁prison ▁to ▁research ▁their ▁roles , ▁and ▁attempted ▁to ▁highlight ▁the ▁biggest ▁issues ▁that ▁the ▁in m ates ▁addressed ▁regarding ▁their ▁ab use . ▁ ▁Ne ema ▁strugg led ▁with ▁final izing ▁the ▁location ▁for ▁film ing ▁the ▁movie ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁complex ▁issues ▁that ▁she ▁chose ▁to ▁address . ▁Civil ▁Brand ▁was ▁originally ▁intended ▁to ▁be ▁fil med ▁in ▁North ▁Carolina ▁but ▁the ▁original ▁script ▁was ▁denied ▁by ▁North ▁Carolina ▁correction ▁officials ▁who ▁were ▁afraid ▁of ▁the ▁message ▁the ▁film ▁dep icted ▁about ▁the ▁prison ▁complex . ▁▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁Ne ema ▁Bar net te ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁eliminate ▁disput ed ▁elements ▁in ▁the ▁original ▁script ▁and ▁submitted ▁a ▁water ed - down ▁script ▁to ▁Tennessee ▁officials , ▁who ▁approved