Netflix's Unlocked: A Jail Experiment chronicles revolutionary changes to incarceration taking place at select prisons in the U.S. The second season of Unlocked: A Jail Experiment - which premiered January 7, 2026 - examines whether jails and prisons can successfully lower violence and recidivism if inmates are allowed more personal freedom and self-governance. Sheriff Ross Teeple initially faced pushback from inmates and his own staff when he instituted a six-week program to unlock the prison cells and allowed inmates to settle their disputes internally.