"I didn't DO my time, I USED my time." - Dre
- andrerodriguezsr
- Jul 19
- 1 min read
The prison industrial complex was built to re-enslave, so the goal is to strip you of your humanity, putting you on the road to recidivism. I was fortunate that my instructor ran his class like it was an office. He brought a sense of normalcy to all the convicts in his class; many of whom were lifers.
For me, there were two major things in there that allowed me to program. One was the vocation department where I learned CG. Shout out to Mr. Cass! The other was the weight pit where I could clear my head by tossing iron. Both were stripped from the California prisons shortly after I paroled. I made'em count though.

The harshness of the prison environment is definitely seen in the design. Look closely and you can see the plates are wielded to the bar, this was to prevent convicts from using them as weapons. This is accurate to the equipment that Dre used while inside. The multicolor aesthetic was to illustrate the importance of finding those small moments of beauty, even in such a lifeless, monochromatic environment.

Bryan Lashelle gave Dre this painterly look with the first paint over of Juice. Now Travis and Stefan are bringing the look into the environments and set pieces.

Weight Bench Design and Prison Wall Facade
Artist: Travis Koller
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