Is Netflix’s ‘Unlocked: A Jail Experiment’ real or fake?

Unlocked: A Jail Experiment gives viewers a unique look into the lives of Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility inmates as they partake in a social experiment; but how much of the show is real?

It’s a very bold experiment that Netflix is documenting; for those who have yet to watch the series, it shows us what happens when inmates of a prison in the U.S. are given the ability to leave their cells at any time. The doors are supposedly unlocked 24/7 with the hope that it will “lead to a more community-oriented living environment,” according to Netflix. Of course, more freedoms for the prisoners means more dangers for the staff, it has inevitably led to controversy and questions as to whether doing this is even legal.

Is Unlocked: A Jail Experiment real?

While pretty much everything that the show depicts is real and unscripted there are certainly elements that just couldn’t be done; for example, the advertised “no locks” and “no officers” premise was partially a lie. Sheriff Eric Higgins, the man behind the experiment, claimed that one of the first steps was removing deputies from the unit while speaking to Netflix, but in reality, there were still officers within the unit. 

Higgins was questioned about the details of the experiment by the Pulaski County Quorum Court. According to KATV, his answers to the ordinance revealed that there were in fact officers stationed in the H unit. There were also officers monitoring cameras and deputies were in the unit frequently. To be fair, it would be a surprise to find out that all of the officers really had been removed from the unit. It’s safe to say that, for the most part, the experiment and its results are real; it’s definitely more real than most “reality” TV shows anyway.

Why was the experiment controversial?

There are several prisons that give inmates a higher degree so it’s not an entirely new concept and it certainly shouldn’t get a sheriff in legal trouble. However, the legality of the whole thing being documented was brought into question by the Court. Higgins stated that there was compensation given for participating in the show and that inmates were asked if they wanted to participate; federal detainees and detainees with sexual charges were not allowed to participate. 

To summarize, most of what you see in Unlocked: A Jail Experiment is real and the idea of giving prisoners more freedom isn’t even that radical. It’s just been sensationalized a bit so Netflix can drum up hype and intrigue and for the most part it worked, although Sheriff Higgins might have gotten himself in a spot of trouble for allowing the recordings to take place.