The true story the movie is based on, is about James Settembrino who in 1992 helped prosecutors by giving information about other drug dealers in order to get a lower sentence for his son Joey (who was also sentenced to 10 years due to Mandatory Minimum Sentencing).
The film was inspired by a documentary on PBS' Frontline about how changes in US drug laws has given deals of a minimum sentence to those guilty if they snitched on their accomplices.
The US Law called Mandatory Minimum Sentencing was introduced via the H.R.5484 Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, sponsored by Representative Wright James C. Jr. (Democrat-Texas).
When Daniel James (Jon Bernthal) takes his son away from some local gang members, one of them tells the other that James is a shot caller. Bernthal stars in a movie called Shot Caller (2017) also directed by Ric Roman Waugh.
Tanya Ballinger, the wife of director Ric Roman Waugh makes a brief cameo at the party in the beginning of the movie. Ballinger is probably best known for her role in a controversial 2003 Miller Lite commercial entitled "Catfight".
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