The Netflix series “Unlocked: A Jail Experiment” was filmed inside the Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility last spring. It’s about a new program where detainees are allowed to move around their unit without direct supervision.
The series follows Pulaski County Sheriff Eric Higgins, who had the idea to let mostly pre-trial detainees govern themselves. In eight 40-minute episodes, inmates are left inside their unit with unlocked cells and without officers stationed inside the unit. Outside of the unit, officers watch the inmates using surveillance cameras.
Higgins says the experimental model will create a less dangerous place for inmates. He says granting detainees more freedom within the jail will lead to more personal accountability–with the end goal of reducing the number of re-offenders who come back to jail after being released.
“[Detainees] need support not only from volunteers coming in and staff but also from each other. When you create that community you create a safer environment,” Higgins said.
And the detainees’ behavior does appear to change. In interviews with the producers throughout the show, detainees talk about how the experiment helped them gain a new perspective.
In the final episode, two detainees from different generations resolve to end a tense rivalry.
Randy Randall and Chauncey Young, who had clashed in prior episodes, find a way to connect with each other. Randall, 46 at the time of filming, told producers the experiment was helping him learn to communicate with others, and he was inspired by Young’s changed behavior.
“I apologize to you because I took it out of proportion.” Randall tells Young, “You inspired me the way you sat back.”
Young, who was 20 at the time of filming, shared the sentiment.
“I decided to change for the better for myself,” Young says. “This is a learning phase for me.”
Both agree they don’t want to risk losing their place in the unit for causing disruption.
In the year since the series was filmed, Sheriff Higgins says the experimental unit, which operates the same as in the show, but with the addition of an in-unit officer to serve as a resource for the detainees, remains one of the safest in the jail.
But Higgins has come under intense criticism because of the show. County officials are questioning who had authority to approve the filming contract. Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde says per the state constitution, he’s the one authorized to sign contracts. But he told a panel of Arkansas lawmakers he didn’t know about the production until he saw the trailer for the show.
“As the County Judge I was never included. Didn’t know anything about it.” Hyde said.
Higgins maintains he had the authority to invite the production company into the jail.
Arkansas lawmakers questioned Higgins about the show one month after its release. Republican state Sen. Jonathan Dismang told Higgins he doesn’t disagree with the reform effort, but he thinks filming the experiment takes advantage of incarcerated people.
“Noone was against what you were trying to do, at least in trying to better the jail, and I don’t think it took a TV show to accomplish what you were trying to accomplish.”
Dismang said he disagreed with the decision to film the show, citing concerns about exploiting incarcerated people.
“And I think the exploitation is real.” Dismang told Higgins. “I think you put people in a very bad situation.
The criticism doesn’t stop with lawmakers. The show also raises questions about the ethics of filming inside a jail.
Adamu Chan is a documentary filmmaker who was incarcerated in California for 15 years. He says there’s a risk to inmates with production companies wanting to look inside detention facilities that isn’t often challenged.
“One of the issues with documentary film in general is that like it’s–it’s an inherently extractive process,” Chan says. “Unless, you know, the participants and the subjects of the film are actually participating in it–like participating in the production of it.”
None of the detainees were paid to be part of the show. The production company sent a check of $60,000 to the county, which rejected it because they deemed the contract illegal.
And at least one participant wasn’t happy with the production. Randy Randall, who is still incarcerated, filed a complaint against Sheriff Higgins, arguing the perception of him on the show could negatively impact his trial. A judge dismissed the case for failing to plead plausible claims.
The show isn’t new territory for Lucky 8, the company that produced Unlocked. Their website lists at least four other shows centered around the carceral system in America. One show called 60 Days In follows non-incarcerated people who go undercover in prisons for 60 days. Another, Behind Bars: Rookie Year, follows new officers at the Penitentiary of New Mexico. Both shows have faced scrutiny for their portrayal of incarcerated people.
Kiel Thorlton is a professor of film and media studies at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He says, at the end of the day, Lucky 8’s goal is to gather an audience and keep people watching–even if that means bending the narrative of how the show was created.
“It’s not interesting where its–when you say ‘we’re gonna open these jail cells, we’re gonna kinda be there” Thorlton says. “That’s not as interesting as saying ‘the doors are open, we’re just filming, whatever happens, happens.’ That’s more sensationalized, that’s more interesting, that’s what’s going to get people to watch it more.”
Lucky 8 did not respond to Little Rock Public Radio’s request for comment.
Higgins continues to respond to criticism emphasizing the unit’s transformation in the six-week filming period.
“We know from this experience that we can create a safer unit pod-by-pod,” Higgins said. “We can do that if we invest in it, and we do it correctly.”
Higgins the first Black sheriff elected to the Pulaski County position, a system that imprisons a disproportionate amount of Black people relative to the population in Arkansas, according to the nonprofit Prison Policy Initiative. Higgins has championed prison reform efforts throughout his career.
And he has plenty of supporters. Chief Deputy Charles Hendricks says the sheriff’s office has received an outpour of support since the show’s release.
“The sheriff gets letters from all over the country. And it’s all been positive.” Hendricks says, adding the only negative feedback he’s heard is from state and county officials in Central Arkansas.
The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office plans to expand the Unlocked model to other units in the jail.