Arkansas Senators Question Netflix Documentary Filming in County Jail

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas senators on Tuesday questioned a sheriff’s decision to allow a Netflix documentary series to be recorded at the county jail, with one critic alleging that the move exploited inmates.

Pulaski County Sheriff Eric Higgins defended his choice to allow the series “Unlocked: A Jail Experiment” to film at the county jail. The eight-episode series, which began last month, focuses on a program that grants some offenders more freedom at the Little Rock jail.

Local and state officials have questioned the decision, claiming they were unaware of the series until just before it premiered. The show centers on a six-week experiment in which inmates in one cell block gained additional freedom by unlocking their cell doors. Higgins stated that he did not approach Netflix or Lucky 8, the production firm that filmed it, about the series.

“I took action to ensure that we have a reentry program to help those who are booked into our facility come out and become better individuals,” Higgins told members of the Joint Performance Review Committee.

Republican Sen. Jonathan Dismang said he supports the sheriff’s reentry program and the idea of trying something fresh to reduce recidivism. However, he expressed concern about it becoming the center of a show and asked how it could be termed an experiment if it was being filmed.

“I think it’s an exploitation of your prisoners that you allowed a film crew to come in,” Dismang stated. Another Republican lawmaker expressed concern about how the show will affect the state’s reputation, comparing it to a 1994 HBO documentary about gangs in Little Rock.

“For most of the people that watched this docuseries, this is the first time they’ve ever been exposed to Pulaski County, or perhaps to the state of Arkansas,” Rep. David Ray stated. “I worry about the brand damage that our state sustains from this being the first perception of our state to other people.”

Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde, the county’s top elected official, said he was unaware of the series until he saw a trailer before it debuted. Hyde claimed that the agreement between the sheriff and the production firm was invalid since he did not sign it. The county has already returned a $60,000 cheque to the production company that filmed the series.

Higgins, a Democrat who was first elected in 2018 and is the county’s first Black sheriff, has received support from some residents. The Little Rock NAACP chapter has backed Higgins’ decision, and supporters of the sheriff packed a committee room for Tuesday’s session.

Democratic Senator Linda Chesterfield stated that Higgins’ supporters want “someone to provide humane treatment for people who have been treated inhumanely.” “We are viewing this through different lenses, and it’s important we respect the lenses through which we view it,” Chesterfield stated.