Netflix docuseries on Pulaski County Jail sparks controversy

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KAIT/KARK) - An upcoming Netflix series featuring an Arkansas jail is sparking controversy over its legality.

According to content partner KARK, “Unlocked: A Jail Experiment” was filmed in 2023 and is expected to air on Wednesday, April 10.

Pulaski County Sheriff Eric Higgins said the series is about an experiment that could potentially improve jails, but Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde said the public has raised concerns over the matter ever since the trailer was released.

“People are very upset because they believe this is the next installment of gang banging in Little Rock which was probably the worst PR for central Arkansas ever,” Hyde said.

Hyde said there were discussions about a film crew coming in late 2021 and early 2022, but he said he didn’t know the series had already been shot until last week.

“The attorney’s office had about a thousand questions and cautions and advised that this wasn’t a good idea,” Hyde said.

Hyde said that if Sheriff Higgins signed a contract with the film crew, he did it illegally, as only a county judge can sign contracts on behalf of the county, but the sheriff said he did not sign a contract, but controls who comes in and out of the jail.

For more information, you can visit KARK’s website.

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