Unlocked: A Jail Experiment is a Netflix docuseries that sees an Arkansas sheriff carrying out a radical and controversial social experiment by handing over control of the unit to its detainees.
Pulaski County Sheriff Eric Higgins implemented a new regime that offered inmates much greater freedom, allowing them to come and go from their cells and giving them the chance to make certain decisions over how things will operate.
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment reveals how the experiment turned out, delving into how its subjects adjust to the changes that Higgins instated to see whether more freedom might lead to lower incarceration and reoffending rates. Here's everything we know about Unlocked: A Jail Experiment.
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment release date & how to watch
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment is now streaming on Netflix. The series arrived on Wednesday, April 10, 2024.
If you're looking for more Netflix recommendations, we've got round-ups of the best Netflix shows, the best Netflix documentaries, and the best true crime documentaries on Netflix that we think you should be streaming right now.
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment premieres this week.In the new doc series, a sheriff attempts something different in an Arkansas jail ⤵️https://t.co/0Ilw4Xy2wYApril 8, 2024
What happens in Unlocked: A Jail Experiment?
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment depicts a period of time inside a Little Rock detention center, wherein Arkansas sheriff Eric Higgins launched a new initiative to see whether he could transform life in jail.
Netflix's full synopsis for Unlocked: A Jail Experiment reads: "Concerned about the high recidivism rates and dismal conditions of the jails in the community he'd spent his career serving, Arkansas sheriff Eric Higgins had a bold idea: He wanted to transform incarceration at a Little Rock detention facility via a social experiment that would offer a true alternative for the men within its walls.
"The goal of the experiment? To determine if more autonomy and less control in prisons could lead to a more community-oriented living environment, and better support one of the fundamental purposes of incarceration: discouraging people from committing future crimes.
"Through candid interviews and unprecedented access, Unlocked: A Jail Experiment delves into what happens when its subjects are given greater autonomy, free to come and go from their cells and decide for themselves how certain things in the unit should run. While some choose to maintain order and rebuild their lives with the newfound freedom, others challenge remaining authority and each other —and Sheriff Higgins is left to decide whether his methods were successful."
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment episode guide
Below you can find Netflix's summaries for each episode of Unlocked: A Jail Experiment:
- Shanks and Shakedowns: At an Arkansas jail, a sheriff prepares to roll out a radical new program granting inmates more freedoms — but the threat of danger lingers.
- Day 1: With cell doors open and guards gone, a detainee tries to create structure as a power struggle between the young inmates and the older generation ensues.
- The Ogs Take Control: The first day of the experiment ends, and the pod establishes a routine. Some inmates face threats while others exploit their newly granted freedoms.
- Pod Daddy: A new privilege introduces more problems. One man facing a life sentence receives words of encouragement, and a self-appointed leader causes strife.
- Fire & Hooch: With the program at the halfway point, the older inmates step back as the younger ones continue to push boundaries. An alarm sends deputies into the pod.
- The Vote: The program's future is thrown into jeopardy after news of an incident reaches the sheriff, who tries to single out the troublemakers.
- New Blood: As the sheriff institutes a new perk, the inmates hope to connect with their loved ones more. The pod faces its final challenge: new arrivals.
- Decision Day: The unit is on high alert after the tensions erupt. As the experiment ends, the inmates make a case to keep their freedoms. The sheriff weighs his opinions.
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment trailer
Netflix released the Unlocked: A Jail Experiment trailer in mid-March 2024. It gives us a snapshot of what life's like inside the facility, and shows how the inmates take to their newfound freedom. Check it out below:
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Martin Shore
Staff Writer at WhatToWatch.com
Martin was a Staff Writer with WhatToWatch.com, where he produced a variety of articles focused on the latest and greatest films and TV shows.Now he works for our sister site Tom's Guide in the same role.
Some of his favorite shows are What We Do In The Shadows, Bridgerton, Gangs of London, The Witcher, Doctor Who, and Ghosts. When he’s not watching TV or at the movies, Martin’s probably still in front of a screen playing the latest video games, reading, or watching the NFL.
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