NEWS

7 go undercover at Indiana jail for A&E show

Lexy Gross
Courier-Journal
Inmates inside the non-smoking general population area in the men's section at the Clark County Jail in Jeffersonville, Ind.

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 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, according to the release, to give viewers a "first-hand look" of incarceration. An A&E spokesperson said anyone who was filmed was cleared for broadcast, but might not have known the premise of the show. Only a select few knew about the project.

Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel

"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 release.

Noel said in the release that the show was the "only way to truly understand what was going on in the jail was to implement innocent participants into the system to provide first-hand unbiased intelligence."

“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 all media questions regarding the show will have to go through A&E. Maples said Noel and other sheriff department officials have spoken out about concerns about taxpayer dollars being spent on production of the show. Maples said the department was reimbursed for any money spent by A&E.

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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 cable TV show. He said at no point while he's been a council member has the show been addressed at a council meeting.

According to the release, the jail houses approximately 500 prisoners.

The Clark County Jail and sheriff’s office has 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 oral sex. He was also part of a federal lawsuit regarding the jail’s drug court treatment program.

The series will air weekly, from 9-11 p.m. on March 10 and at 10 p.m. every week after that.

Reporter Lexy Gross can be reached at 502-582-4087, or via email at lgross@courier-journal.com. 

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