Rob Schneider collapsed secondary to heat exhaustion and food poisoning when soaring temperatures on the set left him struggling to keep up with filming.
Prison scenes were shot at a closed women's prison in Stockton, California.
Matt Farley, who plays a guard, is Rob Schneider's brother-in-law. Pilar Schneider, who plays a member of the Board of Governors, is Schneider's mother.
Before Rob Schneider was attached, the screenplay was written specifically for Joe Pesci, who turned it down immediately. Ben Stiller and Patton Oswald also turned down the role. Schneider loved the script and offered to direct and produce the film for minimal wages if it meant he could also star in the film, which the studio accepted.