Unlocked: A Jail Experiment

Unlocked: A Jail Experiment is a mini series that follows the inmates of a cell block in Little Rock Arkansas as they navigate and negotiate life in jail environment, but without guards and without locks on their cell doors. At face value, this sounds like an impossible concept to film given the immense risks involved with allotting such freedom to some of societies most unruly men, but here it is for your curiosity to consume. I was at first turned off by the overly dramatized style of the documentary, but the high stakes of the experiment and the personalities of the inmates drew me in. I found the episodes to be raw and emotional, making the human spirit the main character. I've never seen any show quite like this one simply for the natural unfolding of almost Shakespearean drama. The pain and shame of the individuals involved sets a silent overtone despite their overly masculine facades. The American prison system can truly be cruel and dehumanizing and it is only in its context that these men could possibly have taken this experiment as seriously as they did, desperate to maintain their suddenly acquired freedom. The line that will stick with me, in response to the added privilege of free phone calls for all inmates, was "this is paradise". This series can be truly heart wrenching, and it will show a side of humanity that we all can relate to, in the least likely of places.

The sheriff of this prison wanted to make a change and he and all related staff spent months preparing to create a situation where inmates could actually benefit and improve themselves vs staying in a cell for 23/24 hours/day. This hopefully improved quality of life for both staff and inmates, they needed "a better way" to run the prison and that included hopefully making more productive future citizens once the incarcerated folks leave the prison. I highly commend the sheriff and staff's efforts. They discuss the "Older" vs "Juvenile" inmates. Randy, an Older one, had the foresight to try to encourage others to step up and play a role in making their open door and extended freedoms program work. The inmates saw consequences of not conforming and participating positively within their experimental cell block Community. This program allowed the inmates to practice being responsible which is a step toward being responsible in the real world and not resorting to old criminal ways but instead being open to new ways of handling things. I LOVED IT! Honesty if this type of program was available where I live I would volunteer to help it be successful.

I looked it up, at Pulaski prison they spend $18,250 per year to house a felon. That's about $50/day. That probably barely covers meals. In New York, it can cost as much as $162,000 per year. At Pulaski, they have 1-2 staff in the cell block, necessitating 23 of 24 hours/day of lockdown due to lack of staff. I had no idea that prisons had entire cell blocks on lockdown 23/24 hours/day (and I wonder if the 15 minutes per meal counts toward the 1 hour per day of getting to be outside of their cell. ) That would drive anyone insane, not being able to socialize, feel any freedoms or do any activities, or have any hope. This was not only a humane 'experiment', it should be a model for prisons going forward to help these folks who didn't have proper mentors or learning environments, or peers to get it right the first time before going into prison. Some people have a disabilities, if they find themselves in stressful prison settings without any attempt by their peers to better themselves, all will be stagnant or worse when they get out and then explode with the freedom. Freedom in prisons is a good concept when used to encourage proper behavior and adaptive skills that an be used positively in the community (or wherever they end up) going forward. Just sticking people in jails to rot isn't the answer; productive rehabilitative settings where people can learn from their life experience and improve themselves seems to be the way to go.

I just finished watching this show, and it's incredibly interesting on many levels.

It's amusing to see the transformation from initial skepticism- inmates believing "this isn't going to work"-to eventually taking responsibility, teaching others how to act, behave, and shape their identities.

Additionally, I have immense respect for everyone involved in making this documentary. The camera crew members were physically surrounded by inmates, risking their lives, yet the inmates showed respect and let them do their job.

The sheriff is a very good person. Often, people overlook the importance of empathy when dealing with inmates. Although inmates are incarcerated due to their actions, many are there because they lacked role models or were never taught the basic rules of society, leading them to commit crimes without considering the consequences.

The prisons in the US are bad! Finally some of the people running them has started to understand that how you treat people inside the walls will mirror how they will act when they get out.

To let the prisoners get responsibility and some freedom is the only way to educate them for the life after prison, and that is what the sherif in Arkansas that is head of the prison will make an experiment about.

Seeing how the inmates get into groups that wants to and don't wan to follow the rules is very interesting. Seeing how the prisoners change already from the first hours and all the way to the end of the show gave me tears in my eyes.

This is a documentary that I would recommend for everyone, and especially those who like prison movies or that has served time or even those that are going to serve time.

There is almost always hope if you just have the right mindset!

What a series.. The changes in some of the inmates was palatable in some cases.. Really a great series if you can see the benifit of people taking their own responsibility for not only themselves but for the community! The sheriff is a strong kind man with great foresight in the ability of people taking the right steps to change! By giving privaliges & recognising their actual strengths...

I loved it from beginning to end I watched it in one night because I couldn't bare to leave it...

I hope that many more prisons will recognise the benefits of such a program..

I also hope that some of those inmates have learnt a load from the experience & change for the good...

More of this please! My first review on this website because this was so excellent... What an ending!