MSNBC’s ‘Lockup” Filming Show At Area Prison

August 12, 2011

For the first time in Florida Department of Corrections history, a television production crew will be filming inside a Florida prison for almost eight weeks with unprecedented access to inmates and staff who wish to participate.

44 Blue, the production company that produces the prison reality series “Lockup” for MSNBC, began filming at Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in Milton this week. Santa Rosa CI houses all custody levels of inmates along with a number of inmates with mental health issues.

Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Ed Buss worked with 44 Blue when he was the prison Commissioner in Indiana, and he felt the effort was worthwhile.

“I have no qualms about them coming into our prisons. I’m proud of our staff and how well our facilities are run, and I hope this will help Floridians understand the challenges we face with our inmate population, as well as the benefits prisons provide to their communities through our programs and re-entry efforts,” said Buss.

44 Blue’s film crew visited SRCI in July to scout the Santa Rosa CI location and interview inmates they may want to focus on. They will be filming during weeks in August and September. A staff member, Santa Rosa CI Lieutenant Andrew Williams, has been assigned to the crew full time and employees and inmates have been told they may opt out of being filmed. 44 Blue is paying a fee to cover the cost of the DC’s expenses.

“I am honored that Santa Rosa CI has been chosen for this opportunity,” said Warden Randy Tifft. “Our staff is looking forward to working with the film crew to showcase our inmate programs and what we do each day to protect the public.”

The series of shows is expected to air on MSNBC in early 2012.

Comments

7 Responses to “MSNBC’s ‘Lockup” Filming Show At Area Prison”

  1. Leonor Torres Echevarria on August 17th, 2011 8:38 pm

    My Husband and inmate Robert Echevarria, is the artist working on the Veteran Flag in Santa Rosa…. He is doing an excellent job and i know you guys have interviewed him!! Thank you!!

  2. 429SCJ on August 13th, 2011 7:43 pm

    Hello P.B. Max. Maybe soon we can pay another visit to Lawrence. I missed the last one.

  3. Sara Daw on August 13th, 2011 10:58 am

    My son is one of the inmates in this prison,I hope he is one of the inmates that will be involved in this.I know with all my heart that once he gets release that he will be a better man,father and son.Hopefully this will show all other young aduts and all other young or old Americans that this is not where they want to spend the rest of their lifes behind bars.But im a firm believer in our lord Jesus Christ and people who choose or make bad choices need to have to pay the price for the wrong choices they make.But my son will be release on or about May of 2013.I feel like when my son is release he will have a clean record and he has done served and paid his price for all of his bad choices and mistakes that he has made.And he has 3 beautiful children and family waiting on him.May god bless u all.

  4. CSA on August 12th, 2011 4:19 pm

    SARCI is a great institution (if there is such a thing) I’ve been there for a few years now and can tell you that in a bad situation inside the wire there is not a better group of people that I would trust. But it should be a good show to watch we have a “good” assortment of inmates.

  5. pb max on August 12th, 2011 2:44 pm

    Gov Scott went to university of Missouri Kansas city (MISSOURI)..proud home of Truman the tiger

    University of Kansas …in Lawrence Kansas …proud home of the jayhawks

  6. cornbread on August 12th, 2011 7:06 am

    Glad they’re doing this. Will get to see how some of my relatives are doing on their “vacation”.

  7. 429SCJ on August 12th, 2011 5:40 am

    A Hoosier for corrections secretary and a Jayhawker for governor. This should be an interesting series.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FEATURE TOP STORY, Features, News