It’s a show that experimented with radical change within a correctional facility, making it safer for both inmates and staff. Mason Abraham’s capital murder charge landed him in Pulaski County Regional Detention Center and he’s the subject of an episode of Unlocked: A Jail Experiment which debuted on Netflix on April 11, 2024.
“Pulaski County Regional Detention Center is a direct supervision facility, which means the deputies are inside the unit with detainees,” Sheriff Higgins told Tudum. The facility in Arkansas holds 1,200 inmates at any one time and Higgins said his goal with Unlocked was to create an environment that was more supportive and safer for those who reside there.
“We thought, ‘What can we do to create some ownership for those detainees in that unit?” Higgins says. “How do we make the facility safer, and what can we do to still hold them accountable but empower them at the same time?’”
By removing deputies from the facility, inmates could take ownership of their daily routine. “Our re-entry unit is for detainees who want help with their addiction or other issues they’re dealing with,” Higgins explained. “There’s an interview process — it’s an open-barrack unit, and it’s the safest in our facility. The behavior is better, it was safer, and the facility was cleaner, because they took ownership. Looking at this experiment, we wondered if that was something we could implement; if we could take a typical unit and modify behavior based on a system of responsibility and benefits.”
Higgins continued in a statement provided to People: “This series explores the challenges faced by jails and prisons, such as low staffing, overcrowding, and the negative stigma,” he said. “Despite these difficulties, my team and I are working on new ways to improve our facility in order to create a safer environment for our employees and help those in our care through responsibility and accountability. Did we face obstacles? YES! However, I believe this journey will not only change the lives of the individuals involved but also challenge society’s views on incarceration and rehabilitation.”
The show follows Mason Abraham, who is better known as Mayham, and other inmates as they adapt to the prison’s new structure and find more purpose in their day-to-day. Here’s all about Mason Abraham’s capital murder charge and how it landed him in jail.
Mason Abraham’s capital murder charge
Mason Abraham’s capital murder charge dates back to October 24, 2022, when he was arrested and charged in connection to a Little Rock homicide. The police said that one male victim was injured after a shooting in the 1400 block of Leander Drive. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later died.
Mason Abraham and Ferrod McCoy are suspected of killing Broderick Bluford at The Ridge at Little Rock apartments on Leander Drive; they were also charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle. Abraham is still awaiting trial while incarcerated at Pulaski County Regional Detention Center.
Capital murder is defined as murder that involves an aggravating circumstance and is punishable by death or life in prison without parole. In the state of Arkansas, Capital murder is defined as premeditated murder, a murder committed during the commission of a violent felony, or a murder committed under certain aggravating circumstances.
The feedback to Unlocked has been pretty positive, with an 89 percent approval rating on Google. That said, Decider observed in their review that “there’s something about Unlocked: A Jail Experiment that doesn’t feel right. And we’re not going to watch and hope for bad stuff to go down, because that feels like we’d be playing right into the producers’ hands.”
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment is available to stream on Netflix.
