Netflix ‘Unlocked: A Jail Experiment’ Season 2 Review - Can Prison Inmates Self-Govern Themselves?

Handling inmates is no easy job. There is rage in them that outbursts every now and then in the form of fights amongst each other. This keeps the security on their toes, often requiring them to come into the picture to diffuse some deadly situations inside the jail. But when under the control of authorities, we see so much happening. What happens when they decide to let go of control and set them free? This is exactly what Unlocked: A Jail Experiment Season 2 deals with. Right at the start, the inmates and we are told that they will be set free, and the guard is going to step back. So now it is just the inmates with each other taking care of the things in the prison. For many inmates, life isn’t easy. Some of them have grown up in the middle of nowhere and have hardly seen so many people at a time. But this time, while serving their punishments, they are put together with those who are serving punishment just like them.

Coming to the experiment, this is no ordinary experiment. This six-week experiment has been well planned by the staff. So rest assured, you know that this isn’t any sort of blind, hasty experiment. As the Deputy warden broke the news, we can see how the staff members are equally worried, given that they are the ones who have interacted with the inmates on a one-to-one basis. Of course, as the experiment begins, we get to see both the good and the bad sides of it. For example, on the bad side, there is a sudden increase in the supply of drugs. This also creates an issue for the sober inmates as they get closer to the risk of a possible relapse. Other than all this, we also see the inmates battling some personal family issues because let's not forget, even as inmates, they are also people who have families. In between, we see some clashes that inmates have with fellow inmates because we are humans who are starkly different from each other.

Towards the end, the authorities are to make a decision: whether to carry on with the experiment or abort it. And that is where the last episode plays a crucial role. It acts as an eye-opener of what happens when you leave the inmates to self-govern. It is indeed sort of an irony that those who broke the rules are supposed to be in check and uphold the law and order inside a prison.

Whatever it is, Unlocked: A Jail Experiment Season 2 is highly entertaining to watch. There is also so much to learn from it. For those who are studying psychology, this can act as a case study, as it does manage to give us some sort of insight into the mind of an inmate. While the pacing is a bit erratic, the concept is new and well executed. And I don’t think it is stages by the way it has been shown to us. So all in all, this is a great watch and something which you haven’t seen before in a while.

Final Score- [7/10]
Reviewed by - Neerja Ch
Follow @NeerjaCH on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times