A mother has opened up about how difficult it’s been seeing her son’s accused killer starring in the Netflix series Unlocked: A Jail Experiment.
Part reality show, part documentary series,Unlocked: A Jail Experimentfollows a group of 46 real inmates at Little Rock’s Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility as they spend six weeks in a unit where their doors are unlocked, granting them freedom and privileges.
Led by Arkansas sheriff Eric Higgins, the social experiment aims to examine whether more autonomy can foster a community-oriented living environment. Butthe show has proven divisive, with some questioning whether criminals should be allowed to take part in a reality series.
Speaking to Fox16, shesaid, “I understand they’re trying to make a show but there’s real people involved, real people that are hurting by seeing one of the people that murdered my son. I don’t think somebody that’s done such a violent crime should get any sort of reward.”
For Shackelford, it’s been difficult to see someone associated with the crime on a Netflix series. She went on to say that she hasn’t been able to make it through a full episode without turning it off, and that she wishes she had been warned about the show before being blindsided.
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“It does something to you seeing somebody that took your child from you,” she added. “If it’s hurting me and doing that, I know it’s doing the same to other families.”
Daisy Phillipson is a Senior TV and Movies Writer on Dexerto’s UK Team. She’s a lover of horror, crime, psychological thrillers. After graduating with a Masters in Magazine Journalism, she’s gone on to write for Digital Spy, LADbible and Little White Lies. You can contact her at daisy.phillipson@dexerto.com
