1. Reality Shows Getting Really Real
60 Days In is an A&E show in which seven non-felons go undercover in the Clark County Jail.
In case you read that sentence quickly, here’s another way to describe it:
Seven people who have no reason to be in jail purposely put themselves in danger for the sake of people’s amusement.
Why, you ask? (Or perhaps, “Dear God, why?”) Great question
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2. The Man of the Hour-Long TV Show
The idea came from Sheriff Jamey Noel, who wanted to uncover corruption as well as find opportunities to improve conditions for the inmates
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3. It’s Working!
As for the “uncovering corruption” portion of Noel’s plan, so far, that part seems to be working.
The undercover inmates have uncovered how drugs are smuggled through the prison
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4. It’s…Working?
One of the undercover operatives had to leave because he was assaulted and another had to leave due to medical issues, but even though those things might not help the inmates, they make for good television. Which is really disappointing, given that Sheriff Jamey Noel’s first and foremost mission is to help inmates.
So has the show, as Noel wanted, helped uncover ways to improve conditions for inmates at all?
5. The Inmate With an In
One of the inmates, Zac, is a veteran. He served as a combat engineer with the Marines in Afghanistan. As a result, he has a special bond with another inmate and fellow Marine, Brian
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6. Zac and Brian
The Marines aren’t the only thing the two have in common.
Both of them struggle with addiction.
When Zac returned home from his deployment, he was spending more than $1,500 a month on alcohol.
Brian, who’s in jail on drug charges, is also an addict
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7. 22Kill, Trying to Help Veterans Live
Zac is all-too-familiar with the struggles that veterans face.
He’s an advocate for 22Kill, a group founded because every day, 22 veterans are killed by suicide.The group wants to raise awareness about the mental health issues that lead to suicide.
When behind bars, veterans who saw combat are much more likely to experience mental health issues than nonveterans
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8. There’s Help
What Zac discovered was that, while resources for veterans did exist, resources like advocacy groups and Alcoholics Anonymous, most inmates had no idea
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9. Lending a Helping Hand
Part of the reason inmates who are veterans didn’t know there were resources to help them is because they weren’t told.
Jail employees “rarely advertised the fact that such programs existed.
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10. A Reality Star That Burns Bright
Though there’s no word yet on what Sheriff Jamey Noel plans to do with that information, Zac’s discovery could improve the lives of veterans serving time behind bars.
As Zac says, “Regardless of whether or not they’re in jail, they still took the same oath that they would protect the country with their life. They still deserve to be treated for issues they developed because of that oath they took.”
Not only does Zac’s discovery make this whole seemingly insane TV show worth it, but it makes Zac a hero. A second time
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