Renewed or Cancelled?
The Netflix documentary series Unlocked: A Jail Experiment takes viewers inside the walls of the Pulaski County Detention Facility in Arkansas. Here, we see the inmates of Unit H take part in a social experiment spearheaded by Arkansas Sheriff Eric Higgins.
If you have seen and enjoyed this gripping new show you might be interested in a second season.
But has Unlocked: A Jail Experiment been renewed for Season 2?
What is Unlocked: A Jail Experiment about?
In the documentary, the inmates, who were used to being on lockdown 23 hours a day, are allowed to roam around freely inside their unit, without the presence of deputies watching over their every move. It’s Sheriff Higgins’ hope that they will become changed men as a result of this change to their routine.
When speaking about his reasoning behind the prison experiment, Higgins said:
“We thought, ‘What can we do to create some ownership for those detainees in that unit? How do we make the facility safer, and what can we do to still hold them accountable but empower them at the same time?’ ” (source)
Over 8 episodes, we see the experiment play out. The men fight, both physically and verbally, and take part in questionable activities that put their looser restrictions at risk. However, they also start to bond with one another and form better relationships, while finding a sense of purpose in their own lives.
Was the experiment a success? You can find out here.
Will Unlocked: A Jail Experiment get a second season?
At the time of writing, Unlocked: A Jail Experiment has not been renewed for a second season. The decision to move forward with more episodes will lie with the folks at Netflix who will be keeping an eye on viewing figures and review scores for the documentary.
High viewing figures and good reviews don’t necessarily mean a second season will get the green light, of course. There also has to be a reason to push forward with Unlocked: A Jail Experiment Season 2.
We think a second season is unlikely. While we think the show is well worth a watch – check out our review – we don’t think there is a need for the show to continue.
The final episode sheds light on what happened to the inmates after filming stopped so there’s not a pressing need for a follow-up season.
That being said, it would be interesting to have a one-off special featuring some of the inmates so viewers can catch up with their lives after the main show. But at the moment, we aren’t sure if that will happen.
What we know about Season 2 so far:
We don’t know anything about Season 2 at the moment as it hasn’t been given the green light, as far as we know. We don’t think a second season will happen but as we mentioned above, a one-off special might be the way forward for viewers keen to catch up with the lives of some of the inmates.
Should we hear news of a special or a second season, we will update this page with new information.
Read More: Where is Tiny now?
Would you like to see a second season of Unlocked: A Jail Experiment? Let us know in the comments below.
Thanks Hailey. I’m hoping for another season too – perhaps with a new group of inmates. I’ll update this page if I hear anything.
Lee :)
Absolutely would love another season….on another inmates on a diffrent floor or diffrent location..also would like to see how current cast is doing now. But DEFINITELY another season. 8 episodes was too short…..loved how they told us where everyone went after show. It was great…praying we get another season
Hi Pamela, thanks for your comment. Like others on this page, I do agree that a second season would be interesting. I think the series offers hope to anybody looking for a chance at redemption so a chance to see these guys continue to build on their successes would be great. I’ll update this page when I hear more.
Lee :)
These men began to think differently and seemed to understand “community”. I look forward to seeing the lives of these young men after the first season. I love the sheriff.
Yes, I can season would be nice more mainly interested in catching up with the fellas that were already in there on the first season
There needs to be a season 2. I’d like to see a follow up from this unit and maybe Segway into expanding the experiment at the same jail or even a new facility… they learned accountability which is a step in the right direction
Yesss of course! season 2 !!
100% we need other seasons
Definitely yes, another season, see how if different units can adapt to this new program.
It would be great to continue this experiment however instead of filming at the same location but different unit, move around to other states and see if the experiment is successful. I would love to see it filmed at Dekalb or Fulton County Jails in Georgia!!
Yes I love seeing great thing come to light in the jails and prisons I would love to see how the other pods reacted to begin unlocked so I would love a season two