Star of Popular Netflix Reality Series on Jails Dies at Age 29 in Arkansas

mugshot John McAllister.

John McAllister, who starred in the Netflix reality series “Unlocked: A Jail Experiment,” died on Sunday, June 2, in Arkansas, according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections and a GoFundMe page for his family.

McAllister, known as “Eastside” on the Netflix series, was an inmate at Williams Correctional Facility in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections.

The cause of death was not clear.

“Inmate John McAllister, 29, was found unresponsive in his bunk at the Randall Williams Unit in Pine Bluff,” the Arkansas Department of Corrections wrote Heavy in an email.

“CPR was initiated by personnel at the facility and was continued by EMTs after they arrived on seen. McAllister was transported to a Pine Bluff hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:50 a.m. Neither suicide nor foul play is suspected. Arkansas State Police is investigating McAllister’s death. McAllister was serving a three-year sentence out of Pulaski County for ten felony convictions that include drugs, breaking and entering, theft of property and firearms possession. His sentence began 8/7/2023.”

McAllister was held at the Pine Bluff facility since 2023, according to THV11.

The Netflix Show Removed Guards & Opened Cells as Part of a Social Experiment in the Pulaski County Jail in Arkansas

According to THV11, some lawmakers in Arkansas raised concerns about the Pulaski County Jail’s participation in the Netflix series, which first streamed in April. The trailer’s narrator says, “no locks and no officers.”

The Netflix blurb for the show says, “At an Arkansas detention facility, a sheriff implements a radical social experiment to grant men who are incarcerated more agency in this reality series.” One episode’s caption reads, “With cell doors open and guards gone, a detainee tries to create structure as a power struggle between the young inmates and the older generation ensues.”

The series spans eight episodes.

“I want to humanize people,” Pulaski County Sheriff Eric Higgins said, according to THV11. “I want to empower people to have an impact on their culture, environment and community. If you can do that on a micro level, in jail with people you don’t care about or didn’t initially care about, and if you take that with you when you go to the broader community, then maybe you realize that you are empowered, you can have a positive impact on your neighborhood, on your family.”

John McAllister Was Found Unresponsive in His Cell, According to Reports

MugshotJohn McAllister.

McAllister was “found unresponsive in his bunk,” and was taken to a hospital, where he was declared dead, the television station KATV reported.

According to Unilad, McAllister was working as a tattoo artist in prison, and he had been incarcerated 14 times since the age of 19.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help McAllister’s family. It reads,

Hello, my name is Melissa, and I am fundraising for my nephew, John McAllister, who tragically passed away on June 2, 2024, while incarcerated at Randall L. Williams Correctional Facility in Pine Bluff, AR. John was only 29 years old and had just 30 days left until his release. His sudden passing has left our family devastated. The cause of his death is under investigation.

We are raising funds to cover the costs of memorial services and transportation, as our family is split between Omaha, NE, and Arkansas.

We are currently planning his Celebration of Life, and details will be announced soon. We appreciate any support you can offer and ask that you keep our family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

Thank you for your kindness and generosity.