Greg Chapman - Research

I had the chance to sit down with Gail Mitchell, a producer for the Lockdown series, and ask here a couple of questions about her experiences filming inside of America's prisons. Here is what she had to say.

Greg: What was the most interesting experience that you had while filming an episode for Lockdown?

Gail: The most interesting experience was when a female inmate at Valley State Prison for Women asked me if I was a new inmate. Apparently I fit right in at California’s maximum security prison for women.

Greg: Once you enter the prison where you are filming, what are the inmates’ reactions towards you and the NG film crew? Welcoming? Hostile? Neutral?

Gail: Well, our NG film crew discovered that no one can just walk into prison. Each crew member had to have passed a complete background check, present ID, go through a metal detector, and then sift through each piece of film gear. This could take about an hour on the average shooting day. And the inmates in California male prisons are divided by their threat level. So inmates weren’t wandering around the prison grounds once we entered the gates… they are contained in housing units and yards that were beyond another security check point. Generally inmates were very welcoming and love National Geographic. It was common to hear inmates yelling, “I love Jacques Cousteau!”

Greg: Have you ever felt like you were at risk when filming? If yes, please explain if you care to share.

Gail: California’s Salinas Valley State Prison uses the gym as housing—it’s a way to alleviate overcrowding. With so many inmates in one place, a bloody riot took place in the gym one evening, shortly after our film crew left. And days afterward, we filmed in the very same gym. There were no threats made against our crew, but there was a strange energy in the air. Knowing what had happened and could happen made me feel like I wasn’t safe.

Greg: After you were done shooting Lockdown and you were far past the gates of the prison, what was the biggest takeaway from your experience?

Gail: The biggest takeaway I have from time spent filming in prison is that when courts sentence inmates to prison, they aren't just locked away. Even when incarcerated, people continue surviving. They create their own societies and social structures. It's incredible to see how adaptable people can be, and how fortunate our crew was to only have to temporarily adapt to prison life.

Check out more about NGC's Lockdown by clicking Here.