By By Adam Prestridge
Officials with the Alabama Department of Corrections are giving the MSNBC series “Lockup: Holman Extended Stay” rave reviews.
The series, which aired its sixth and final episode Friday night, documented the life of prisoners incarcerated in Atmore’s Holman Prison.
Holman houses more than 1,000 inmates. Of those incarcerated, more than 170 are on death row and roughly 360 are serving life sentences. Correctional officers are outnumbered 10-to-1 and work tirelessly to curb violence including prisoner assaults and searches for makeshift weapons in the overcrowded prison designed for about 640 inmates. The dedication put forth by the correctional officers, who are supervised by warden Grantt Culliver, along with prison weddings, a tour of the state’s lethal injection chamber and much more was featured on the cable special, which premiered Dec. 18.
Corbett said the Alabama Department of Corrections agreed to allow the film company, 44 Blue Productions, to film the documentary simply to inform the outside world of what goes on in a maximum-security prison.
Culliver said 44 Blue Productions reimbursed the state $7,500 to cover the cost of officers who escorted the crew, which returned in June and July to film “Extended Stay” after filming a single episode in 2006.
Viewers have also been giving the show favorable reviews.
Oregon correctional officer Gary L. Getman recently emailed Corbett complimenting the professionalism of Culliver.
Favorable feedback is encouraging to the department, Corbett said.