“At an Arkansas detention facility, a sheriff implements a radical social experiment to grant men who are incarcerated more agency in this reality series.” That’s the intriguing log line for “Unlocked: A Jail Experiment,” an upcoming, eight-episode Netflix docuseries about a group of inmates at the Pulaski County jail who were afforded an opportunity to experience incarceration with “no locks and no officers,” according to a trailer released Wednesday.
“The detainees will have six weeks to prove that they can act more like people and not criminals. It could end helping somebody to be free and stay free,” Pulaski County Sheriff Eric Higgins says in the trailer.
“This series explores the challenges faced by jails and prisons, such as low staffing, overcrowding, and the negative stigma,” Higgins said in a statement. “Despite these difficulties, my team and I are working on new ways to improve our facility in order to create a safer environment for our employees and help those in our care through responsibility and accountability. Did we face obstacles? YES! However, I believe this journey will not only change the lives of the individuals involved but also challenge society’s views on incarceration and rehabilitation.”
Despite the trailer having some occasionally inspiring moments, it also includes scenes of inmates fighting, making prison “hooch” and rolling joints. What were the repercussions, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette smartly asked. One also can’t help but wonder about exactly how much say the inmates had regarding their appearance in the series in the first place.
The project came as a surprise to other county officials. Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde, 6th Judicial Circuit prosecutor Will Jones and the members of the Pulaski County Quorum Court told the Democrat-Gazette they were unaware of filming until the trailer was released last week.
A FOIA request by the Democrat-Gazette revealed a production contract between the Pulaski County Sheriff’s office and Lucky 8 TV Inc. in which the sheriff’s office “agreed to not disclose their participation in the production until after an episode had aired and a media outlet asked about their participation, at which point officials could confirm they participated in the production.”
The contract, signed by Higgins, also states that Lucky 8 TV Inc. agreed to pay the sheriff’s office $1,000 for every day of filming.
As of Saturday, Higgins had not responded to the Democrat-Gazette’s request for comment. The sheriff’s office spokesperson referred questions from the newspaper to a Netflix publicist who also had not responded.
“Unlocked: A Jail Experiment” is set to come out on April 10.