It’s the Netflix series that’s taking up the internet by storm. If the reality show has been on your radar, you might be itching to know if Unlocked: A Jail Experiment was real or fake. Turns out, there has been meticulous planning in making the show.
Leading the experiment is Arkansas sheriff Eric Higgins of the Pulaski County Jail. “The deputies are inside the unit with detainees,” Sheriff Higgins told Netflix Tudum about the structure of the show. Higgins says that for Unlocked, his goal was to create an environment with less direct supervision.
“We thought, ‘What can we do to create some ownership for those detainees in that unit?” Higgins says. “How do we make the facility safer, and what can we do to still hold them accountable but empower them at the same time?’”
“In this country, we have a certain perception of someone who goes to jail — the assumption being that they’re guilty,” Higgins says of the carceral system. “But they deserve dignity. These individuals, they’re fathers, they’re uncles, they’re sons. People care about them… they’re not just a number. I believe that if you treat people right, and you hold them accountable… I think they take that with them when they walk out of this facility. I think we have proven that people will rise to the expectation.”
Was Unlocked: A Jail Experiment real?
Yes, Unlocked: A Jail Experiment was real. The show was unscripted and hidden cameras were put all over the jail for the series.
“Our re-entry unit is for detainees who want help with their addiction or other issues they’re dealing with,” Higgins explained about the unit. “There’s an interview process — it’s an open-barrack unit, and it’s the safest in our facility. The behavior is better, it was safer, and the facility was cleaner, because they took ownership. Looking at this experiment, we wondered if that was something we could implement; if we could take a typical unit and modify behavior based on a system of responsibility and benefits.”
Before the series even began, Higgins explained that the experiment was entirely voluntary. “We had an empty unit that was easy to move people in if they wanted to be part of this,” Higgins says. “Detainees were made aware by the production company that they were going to be recording, and we checked to see if they wanted to be there. At any given time, a person could leave [the experimental unit].”
Was Unlocked: A Jail Experiment Illegal?
According to Higgins himself, the experiment followed all protocols and policies.
However, Daily Mail reported that Higgins may have illegally signed a contract with Lucky 8 in the August 15, 2022, release form allowing the crew to film inside the jail. The only person who’s allowed to sign those legally binding contracts is Judge Barry Hyde. “It doesn’t matter what they thought it was. It’s a contract,” he told the gossip news site. “My primary concern now and always has been that the sheriff stepped outside of his authority by signing a contract he doesn’t have authority to sign.
“The only person, by state law, who can legally bind the county into a contract is the county judge,” he reiterated. “The question now is: how are we going to resolve the issue of an illegal contract? We are exploring that at this time.”
Were the inmates paid for their time on Unlocked: A Jail Experiment?
The inmates were not paid for their appearance in Unlocked: A Jail Experiment. According to KATV, Higgins said there was compensation given for participating in the show in the amount of $60,000 made payable to the Pulaski County Government. Higgins said in his response the check was given to the finance director on March 28, 2024, and given to the comptroller’s office which was received that same day.Two PCSO employees were compensated as well for their off-duty hours, getting paid $40 per hour. No other compensation was given to participants.
Who are the inmates involved in Unlocked: A Prison Experiment?
Here’s a list of all the inmates involved in Unlocked: A Prison Experiment provided by The Arkansas Times.
Mason Abraham
Tyler Bancroft
Terry Beckton
Johnny Binns
Krisna Clark
TY Clement
Kenneth Cobb
Johnathan Cox
Caleb Crew
Jarrod Ellison
Elliott Finch
Rodney Franklin
Daniel Gatlin
Phillip Gembarski
Cheradrd Harriott
Quincy Harris
Jeremy Jefferson
Christian Johnson
Melvain Jones
Ronald Lewis
Raymond Lovett
Willie Lovelace
Zachary Manos
Mardaleon Marbley
John McAllister
Ferrad Mccoy
Walter Means
David Miller
Jordan Parkinson
Daniel Perry
Adam Peters
Kevin Pitts
Jon Poston
Kaelon Presley
Randy Randall
Andre Reece
Tony Robinson
RaShadd Scott
Nicholas Spinosa
Javian Sprinkle
Landon Stiblet
James Stigall
Fabian Sykes
Curtland Watson
Preston Wehrer
Brian Walls
Roseikeo Wright
Joseph Wutzke
Chauncey Young
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment is now available to stream on Netflix.
