60 Days In sheriff who brought seven undercover volunteers into his jail to SPY on inmates reveals the truth about their time behind bars – and how he kept them safe from being outed as ‘snitches’ by real criminals

The sheriff starring in the brand new season of hit reality show 60 Days In has opened up about his shocking decision to bring seven undercover volunteers to his Utah jail to spy on inmates – as he angrily lashes out at skeptics of the A&E series .

Sheriff Mike Smith sent seven members of the public, including a lingerie model and a former drug addict, to his Utah County jail to spy on real inmates in an effort to “make things better” within the facility, an experiment that will now be executed. aired in season nine of the reality show.

Now, in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Sheriff Smith has addressed claims that the prison’s horrific conditions have been exaggerated, saying the seven outsiders placed behind bars receive exactly the same treatment as other inmates and “don’t get anything extra.” or special or different’.

When asked what he would say to those who are so skeptical of the A&E show, he replied, “First of all, before I agreed to do this, I was one of those critics, so I don’t have time for that, and I made Before we agreed to do this, it was so obvious that I don’t have time to make it into a TV show if it’s fake.

‘I don’t need drama in my institution, I just don’t need a headache. So I’ve actually done my homework on this, I’ve called other sheriffs who had knowledge of it, and I can say that these participants are being introduced into our facility and what’s happening is really happening.

In season nine of 60 Days In, seven contestants go undercover in the Utah County Jail

“It’s just prison life, there’s no artificial drama introduced – it is what it is,” he claimed ahead of the first episode of Season 9, which premieres May 30 on A&E.

The chosen contestants – Scarlett, Qwell, Nina, Corey, Fabian, AB and Daniel – are seen entering the prison and going undercover to shed light on one inflow of drugs, contraband and gang activity to help Sheriff Smith identify problems and create positive change for both prisoners and staff.

When asked if he thought all seven of them could handle life in prison, Sheriff Smith said, “They all went through a process, including a psychological evaluation, to get in.”

“I think some of them might underestimate what it will be like, but for me it’s all in the mentality. People are amazing, and they can do whatever they want if they put their mind to it.”

Addressing whether the participants could be in danger if their true identities were discovered, he continued, “So our job is to keep everyone in the facility safe, right? And regardless of whether they are real prisoners or these participants, it is our job to keep the environment safe.

“So there’s always a risk that something could happen, but whether they participate or not, that risk exists and we made sure that we did everything we needed to do to minimize any risk to keep people safe, but that we also do that on a daily basis.’

When asked if the real inmates would view the participants as “traitors,” Sheriff Smith reiterated that “they don’t know who they are,” even though the seven individuals are going in with trumped-up charges.

‘Chances are that if they found out who they were, they would see them that way too. That’s why it’s important to keep it under control and maintain their cover,” he explained before revealing how they explained the camera crew to the prisoners.

Sheriff Mike Smith emphasized that “no artificial drama” was added to the television series

Two participants who will go to prison are lingerie model Scarlett (left) and former drug addict Daniel

The participants will spy on the real prisoners for drug use and contraband

“Of course we already have cameras all over the facility, but for this production there were cameras there and they were told we were making a documentary about prison life, which we did, the name 60 Days In just became never used .’

In an exclusive first look at season nine, viewers get a glimpse of the seven individuals willing to sleep in a jail cell to help Sheriff Smith improve his facility.

Early in the two-minute segment, Sheriff Smith explains, “They’ll see everything the inmates do that the officers can’t see. They will find contraband, if it is in the prison, as well as weapons, and hopefully they can help identify how to reduce recidivism.

“Each of them brings a unique perspective and after 60 days inside, they share everything they’ve learned. It is a difficult and dangerous job, but I count on them.’

One of the participants, named Qwell, currently works as a police officer and was formerly a corrections officer at Rikers Island, a notorious 413-acre prison island in the East River in the Bronx, New York City.

“I’ve been attacked, I’ve been jumped, I’ve been punched. So when I go in, I’m going to show you who’s really running this,” Qwell warns in the clip, as a bail bondsman named Nina claims, “I’m not scared of this at all, I’m here for a good time. time.’

Another participant named Fabian reveals that he had been in prison five years previously and is no stranger to “the street life,” as he claims, “I’m the type of person that if you fuck me, I’m going to make you even better to fuck.’

AB is studying law, while Nina (right) is a bail bondsman who says she is ‘not afraid of this at all’

Qwell was a corrections officer at Rikers Island, a notorious 413-acre prison island in New York

The real inmates at the Utah County Jail think the documentary is being filmed and are unaware of the TV show 60 Days In

Fabian previously served five years in prison, while Corey (right) is a store employee who has been watching the show for years

AB, who has two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree in criminology, law and society, also steps in and admits: “Hopefully no one will try anything crazy, because law student or not, I’m still from the area.”

Daniel, who has been sober for almost seven and a half years, reveals that he “detoxed from IV fentanyl on an abandoned building floor” and is confident he can “stay in jail for 60 days.”

Retailer Corey comes from a very different background, revealing that he is simply a “superfan” of 60 Days In and wants to “prove” to himself that he can do it.

60 Days In season nine premieres Thursday, May 30 on A&E at 9/8c.