On NETFLIX, you are to watch an 8-part series about a radical idea being implemented in a prison in Little Rock, Arkansas. The series’ name is “Unlocked – A Jail Experiment.” The jail’s sheriff, Eric Higgins, wanted to try an experiment inside the prison by treating inmates like responsible adults. How, you might ask? He did this by having no locks on doors and no officers within the cell block (they would still be supervised by correctional officers via CCTV outside of the cell block). During his many years working within corrections and the CJS, Higgins noticed that something new needed to be tried as the status quo was not working. Will this proposed experiment work?
This assignment aims to get you to examine how orthodox correctional practices are being challenged and re-conceptualized to make incarcerated individuals “better” people. Your evaluative paper must include the following:
A brief introduction outlining what the paper will present.
A reflective summary of each of the 8 episodes which will include answers to each of the questions in the episode guide below.
An overall evaluation of whether this radical new idea actually worked or not. Note that in your evaluation, you must also note the strengths and weaknesses (pros/cons) of implementing an idea like this inside correctional institutions AND you must consider/reflect on whether something like this should be tried in Canada (and why or why not).
A conclusion. Note that you may include your conclusion in your overall evaluation.
Your assignment should be a MINIMUM of 2 pages.
EPISODE GUIDE – Questions to consider for each episode:
E1 – Why do something like this/why now?
E2 – Why do most people (criminal justice professionals and inmates themselves) believe that this will not work?
E3 – What are some of the drawbacks of not having guards on the range?
E4 – Based on what happened in this episode, would you have shut the program down? Why or why not?
E5 – Reaching the midpoint of the experiment, the sheriff has introduced more freedoms. What did this do to/for the inmates?
E6 – In this episode, safety is identified as an issue. What would you have done regarding the program? Why is it important to get a handle on “hooch” and “drugs” inside?
E7 – Why are visits important?
E8 – In spite of challenges, the sheriff and the inmates wanted to create an environment to help deinstitutionalize people. Why is this necessary?
