‘Unlocked: A Jail Experiment’ Renewed for Season 2; Sets January 2026 Netflix Premiere

Dec 9, 2025 - 15:30

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UNLOCKED: A Jail Experiment. Inmate Jay in episode 202 of UNLOCKED: A Jail Experiment. Credit: Courtesy of Netflix/

Netflix quietly confirmed the renewal of one of its documentary series today. Coming up on two years since the first season debuted, we’ve got a release date, first-look stills, and the official trailer for Unlocked: A Jail Experiment. We had previously reached out to Netflix about the renewal, but it declined to comment.

It’s been a while since the first season premiered, so here’s a quick refresher. Produced by Lucky 8 TV, the series first premiered on April 10th, 2024. Set in an Arkansas detention facility, you watch as a controversial sheriff implements a radical social experiment to grant men who are incarcerated more agency in this reality series.

The series did well on Netflix, clocking four weeks in the global top 10s, pulling in 69.8M viewing hours, which equates to 12.6M views. Since its release through June 2025, the series has picked up 17.9M views, meaning it did most of its business in those opening weeks.

In season 2, it’ll follow much of the same format but with some slight tweaks.

Set over eight episodes, this season will take you to Pinal County, Arizona, where “a newly elected sheriff (Sheriff Teeple) launches a bold six-week experiment, unlocking the doors to an entire pod and giving inmates unprecedented control. Years of violence, lockdowns, and repeat offenders have created a cycle of aggression that seems impossible to break, and now the jail becomes a testing ground for a revolutionary approach to rehabilitation.”

Here are all the first looks images that just dropped ahead of season 2 releasing on Netflix globally on January 7th, 2026. Greg Henry, George Kralovansky, Isaac Holub, Kim Woodard, and J.C. Begley are executive producers on the series.

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UNLOCKED: A Jail Experiment. Inmate Philip in episode 204 of UNLOCKED: A Jail Experiment. Credit: Courtesy of Netflix/

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Are you excited for the next season of Unlocked: A Jail Experiment? Let us know in the comments down below, and keep our full list of Netflix renewals bookmarked for the latest.