Participant Jessica on A&E’s docuseries 60 Days In says of inmates at Atlanta’s Fulton County Jail that they only thing they are learning on the inside is “violence”.
Jessica, who owns a revenue management company, met her husband on an inmate pen pal site when he was incarcerated and volunteered to be on A&E’s show to get an insight into why he became so institutionalized.
He has displayed a lot of “inmate type” behavior in the past and it has put their relationship under strain.
60 Days In sees participants enter the jail undercover to report back to chief jailer Colonel Mark C. Adger on what exactly is going on behind bars, and what the problems are.
Jessica hopes that by getting perspective from the inside she will also be able to help her husband and others reintegrate into society.
This week on 60 Days in the women taking part in the project struggle to continue as the stresses of the inside take their toll, with one considering dropping out as everything becomes too much.
In footage from the show, Jessica gives her opinion on life behind bars.
She says after experiencing the violence that can occur in jail: “My husband spent almost 11 years in prison for non-violent crime. I need to understand what my husband went through when he was locked up.
“I get it now. Here, when you’re in a fight, your whole room is in a fight. No CO came in…they don’t care.
“It is very disturbing, because they are supposed to be here to ‘learn your lesson’. The only thing they’re learning is violence. The environment makes you aggressive.”
60 Days In airs Thursdays at 9/8c on A&E.