A behind-the-scenes look at A&E’s new 10-part docuseries, “Family Lockup,” featuring the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office.
Reminder Publishing submitted photos
LUDLOW — The Hampden County Sheriff’s Office has collaborated with A&E on a new 10-part docuseries that follows 10 inmates reunifying with their families inside two Hampden County jails.
According to an announcement from A&E, the series, titled “Family Lockup,” invites estranged family members inside the Hampden County jails in Ludlow and Chicopee for 48 hours with their incarcerated loved ones in an attempt to “rebuild their broken relationships within prison walls.”
The broader goal of the program and series, according to the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office, is to break the cycle of recidivism and help inmates regain the support of their loved ones so they can “stay out of jail for good.”
In an interview, Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi said the series gives local community members and the inmates’ families a chance to see what incarcerated people go through on a daily basis in their road to freedom.
“A lot of [inmates] miss their family members,” Cocchi said. “So, when their family came in to see them and what they’re going through, the asks that we’re making of them every day, and the attainment of those asks the inmate is accomplishing every day, it really helped change the perspective of their family members.”
Production on the series began in 2023. When production company Lucky 8 reached out about the idea of filming the program’s inner workings, Cocchi said he was initially leery of allowing cameras and family members into the jail due to the amount of research and legal work that needed to be done.
Following a comprehensive vetting process that included calling other jails across the country to hear about their experiences with Lucky 8, Cocchi’s office decided that the series was the “right thing to do.”
“They worked with us as far as making sure we kept the place safe,” Cocchi said, of the show’s producers. “They were very open to everything we asked, and I just think for the community, this is a great opportunity to see what happens in [the county jails].”
According to Rob Rizzuto, the director of communications for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office, the show was filmed with stories at the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow and the Western Massachusetts Regional Women’s Correctional Center in Chicopee.
Cocchi said inmates signed waivers if they did not want to be on camera, and collaborators made sure certain aspects of the jails that needed to be confidential were kept confidential.
According to the A&E announcement, Lucky 8 — which produced “60 Days In” — is also partnering with “Hip Hop Homicides” producer Monami Productions on the new docuseries.
Both Cocchi and A&E said the program illustrated in the 10-part series aims to redefine correctional rehabilitation and spotlight the role that family dynamics play, whether in reintegration or incarceration.
The show will also feature Psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere facilitating “intense sessions between inmates and their loved ones to rebuild fractured relationships and foster empathy that can make a crucial difference upon an inmate’s release,” according to the show’s announcement.
“[A&E] did a great job of prefacing each episode with something eye-catching to grab people to watch the series,” Cocchi said. “But when you get into the meat and potatoes of the episodes, it’s all about humanity, compassion, professionalism, respect. Our staff give them [respect], and then they try to re-earn and regain trust with their family members. It’s very powerful.”
The 10-episode series premieres Aug. 21 at 10 p.m. According to Cocchi, no taxpayer money was used to fund the program, and no inmate or facility staff member was paid to participate.
Cocchi was also not paid to take part in the series, according to the sheriff’s office.
