Editor’s Note: This is the first installment of a two-part series.
Producer Susan Carney has been with “Lockup” since 2005, going inside 30 prisons and jails for the “Lockup” series and nearly 50 over the course of her career. She has frequently appeared on MSNBC’s “Lockup: Raw” series, a behind-the-scenes look at how the show is produced.
We invited our Facebook fans to contribute questions for Susan, and received hundreds of responses. Here are answers to a few of them.
Earl B: What type of prep work do you do when visiting each prison?
We have a wonderful colleague, Ray, who works in our production office and he provides us with a complete packet about each facility as well as news articles about some of the inmates at those facilities. We also research the local area for crime trends, current cases and local and state laws before going there.
Alyssa J: How is being a woman going into all male prisons? Do you get a lot of cat calls and inappropriate things said to you, and how do you handle it?
You’d be surprised how many women work in all male prisons. There are female correctional officers as well as female mental health and medical workers. However, I have experienced inappropriate comments and behaviors, and once an inmate touched me in an inappropriate way but I handled that with a conversation and he ended up apologizing to me. But overall, I think being a female going into all male prisons is a plus because I feel a lot of men are more willing to open up to a woman rather than to another man. I’ve also found that most inmates just want to talk and have a connection with someone who is not affiliated with the prison.
Anthony T: Love Lockup. My question is how many total hours would you estimate you have been in prisons? Roughly a small sentence?
I’ve spent about 700 days in jails and prisons doing Lockup. We tend to work 12 hour days so approximately 8,400 hours!
Nicki S. What made you want to do this type of work?
Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood”, which I read years ago, was very inspiring to me as far as pursuing this type of work. I’m fascinated with human behavior and I strive to understand why we do many of the things we do – especially the self-destructive and harmful behavior. I believe that in truly understanding the origins of these behaviors, we might be able to prevent or at least reduce the damage.
Chastity L. Why do prisoners agree to talk freely to you guys, are they paid to be on the show?
No one is ever paid to participate in the show. As to why they talk to us…I believe it is because most people want to be heard and understood and many want their life story known. Also, a lot of inmates have told me they hope that by sharing their own difficult experiences they may help others in similar circumstances.
Kathy B. What is the scariest part about spending extended time in a prison?









