Netflix Unlocked series sparks more controversy as Arkansas officials probe ... trends now

Arkansas officials are probing a $60,000 payment made by producers of Netflix's controversial Unlocked docuseries, as the mother of one of the star's alleged victims slams the project.

Unlocked: A Jail Experiment follows an experiment by Pulaski County Sheriff Eric Higgins that sees the inmates allowed to seemingly roam free inside the Pulaski County jail in Little Rock after their cells are unlocked for days.

The Pulaski County Government has asked for more details of how the production came to be, particularly the agreement between Higgins and the production company, Lucky 8.

Higgins has told officials that he handed the $60,000 check to the finance director and the comptroller's office on March 28. He was not personally paid for his appearance.

Additionally, two staff members in the jail were paid for working off-duty hours, at $40 per hour.  The sheriff says this was the only compensation given to participants, as reported by KATV. 

The probe comes as a mother speaks of the pain of seeing her son's once-accused killer on the Netflix show.

Hailey Shackelford says she has been unable to finish the show, which features inmate Jordan Parkinson, 20, who was initially charged with her son Jadon Shackleford’s murder. However, the capital murder charges against Parkinson were later dropped and he is now free.

'I’ve started it and stopped it many times,' the mother told Fox16. 

'I understand they’re trying to make a show but there are real people involved and real people that are hurting seeing one of the people that murdered my son doing an experiment and getting gifts and free phone calls and all this stuff when I can never call my child again.'