Innocent volunteers do jail time for A&E reality show
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Clark County Jail in Jeffersonville, Ind., is the setting for a new A&E Network documentary series, where seven "innocent volunteers" will spend 60 days as undercover inmates.
In a release, A&E described the 12-part series 60 Days In as "an effort to expose internal issues and what really happens behind bars." A preview shows clips of bloody fights, drug use and the volunteers voicing their frustrations of what it's like to be an inmate.
"Sheriff Jamey Noel has devised a program where seven participants will live among the facility’s general population for 60 days without officers, fellow inmates, or staff knowing their secret," the release said.
Hundreds of cameras were filming around the clock in the jail to give viewers a "first-hand look" of incarceration. An A&E spokesperson said anyone who was filmed was cleared for air, but might not have known the premise of the show. Only a select few knew about the project.
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"This provocative series will be an incredible addition to the rich non-fiction portfolio as the network continues to bring audiences cutting-edge immersive content,” Elaine Frontain Bryant, an executive for A&E Network, said in the news release.
Noel said Wednesday that he had previously made attempts to bring in undercover officers and solve some of the issues in the jail, but couldn't find someone to commit more than one or two days staying undercover. Noel said the sheriff's department started doing some jail raids and it drew the attention of A&E.
“After recently taking office, it was no secret that the Clark County Jail had problems and we needed to take quick control. ... These brave volunteers helped us identify critical issues within our system that undercover officers would not have been able to find," Noel said in the release.
The show's participants range from a social worker to a police officer and a military wife. A spokeswoman for A&E Networks said Noel had the final say on who participated in the show. She said Noel did not receive payment for his work with A&E.
"Each participant’s reason for volunteering for this program varies, but they share the ultimate goal of leaving with a better understanding of the system — how it operates, its psychological effects, and wanting a part in exposing its larger impact on society," the release said.
Capt. Scottie Maples, Clark County Sheriff's Department public information officer, said some people have voiced concerns that taxpayer money might have been spent on production of the show. Maples said the department was reimbursed by A&E for any money it spent on the volunteers during production.
Brian Lenfert, vice president of the Clark County Council, which is the fiscal body responsible for funding the Sheriff's Department and jail, said he had no knowledge of the TV show. He said at no point while he's been a council member has the show been addressed at a council meeting.
Noel said the jail typically houses approximately 50-75 inmates.
The Clark County Jail and sheriff’s office have been recently riddled with legal issues, overcrowding and personnel problems.
In August of last year, a four-month employee of the Clark County Jail was charged with sexual misconduct after police said he admitted to having sex with an inmate. Also in August, a work crew program for inmates was suspended after police said a former inmate tried to sneak phones and drugs to those inside the jail.
Noel, a former Indiana State Police officer and chair of Clark County’s GOP, won the election for sheriff in 2014, after former Sheriff Danny Rodden signed a plea deal in federal court, admitting he lied to the FBI about paying a prostitute for sex. He was also part of a federal lawsuit regarding the jail’s drug court treatment program.
"I opened myself up to this," Noel said Wednesday. “It’s a learning experience and it wasn’t an easy decision, but I stand by that it was the right decision."
The series will air weekly, starting March 10.