Animal Factory 2000

As Ron Decker (a young man imprisoned for a non-violent drug offense) navigates the treacherous landscape of the penal system, he finds an unlikely ally in Earl Copen, a seasoned con with a keen sense of survival and a penchant for mentorship. When three would-be attackers attempt to lure Decker into a cell block with malicious intentions, Copen intervenes, using his wit and charisma to defuse the situation and send the perpetrators packing.

Over the ensuing days, Copen proves himself to be a veritable guardian angel for Decker, securing him better accommodations, more palatable rations, and even a transfer to his own cell block. Moreover, he exploits a loophole in the new legislation by fabricating false reports and offering sage advice to help Decker present himself as a minimal threat to society, thereby increasing the chances of a sentence modification. However, this newfound optimism is short-lived, as a brutal assault by Buck Rowan, a behemoth inmate with no regard for human life, shatters Decker’s sense of security.

In the aftermath of this violent confrontation, Copen helps Decker craft a story that places the blame squarely on Rowan’s shoulders, but their attempts to manipulate the system ultimately fall flat. A judge rejects Decker’s plea for a reduced sentence, condemning him to serve out his full five-year term. Meanwhile, Copen masterfully orchestrates a campaign of retaliation against Rowan, enlisting the aid of an unsuspecting infirmary worker to poison the IV fluids and silence the would-be snitch once and for all.

As Decker and Copen await their release from the clutches of the penal system, they concoct a daring escape plan. Under the cover of darkness, they intend to slip into a garbage truck, avoiding the crushing force of the compressor by employing a trusty bar as a makeshift barrier. Decker successfully executes his portion of the plan, fleeing to Costa Rica and leaving Copen behind. The latter, however, is forced to confront his own mortality, uttering a chilling declaration: “This is my prison, after all,” before quoting Satan’s infamous dictum from John Milton’s Paradise Lost: “Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.”