LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — More drama is developing behind the scenes of the Netflix series filmed inside the Pulaski County jail.
The show debuted on the streaming platform two weeks ago, and now county officials have decided to return the $60,000 earned for filming it.
The decision comes as county leaders continue to be unhappy about how Pulaski County Sheriff Eric Higgins responded to their questions regarding how the project came to be.
Since the docuseries Unlocked: A Jail Experiment was released earlier this month, there's been concern about its legality.
Despite this, the documentary is still one of the most watched on Netflix, garnering over five million views.
The show features Pulaski County inmates being introduced to a new idea: managing themselves without guards in the pods.
Although Netflix has enjoyed global success with the show, the documentary continues to receive criticism back home in Arkansas.
This week, Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde sent a letter to Lucky 8, the series' production company. In the letter, Hyde wrote that the money was "reimbursement" for the company filming at the jail.
Hyde said the county did not authorize the money, and there was no contract with the company. Now, the money is considered a donation, and it's being refused.
The county is also asking Higgins for more clarification on his answers to an ordinance.
Last month, the quorum court required the sheriff to answer 40 questions regarding the series, including where filming took place, who is on camera throughout the series, and any signed contracts, agreements, or release forms.
Pulaski County officials asked for clarification on critical or significant occurrences while filming. Higgins said there was an overdose, but the county said that was contradictory to other documents provided that stated there were possible sexual assaults.
There are also questions about who was allowed to participate.
The document said the staff was told no detainees with sex charges could participate, and no detainees could be housed together that were on the same case.
According to information provided to the county, at least one participant was charged with rape, and at least two others were charged as co-defendants in a capital murder case.
Neither the judge nor the sheriff would comment on these issues.
The Pulaski County Sheriff's Office said they have received these questions and are working to get answers.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin is also investigating the production of the show.