Cable News Nightmare! MSNBC’s Lockup Gets Shut Out Of Florida Prison

by Mark Joyella | 1:51 pm, August 19th, 2011

» 21 comments

If you’re in the prison documentary game, you know that you’re going to be spending plenty of time in Florida. For some reason, that’s where the bizarre crimes happen, and hence, the prisons are stuffed with some real choice inmates. So it’s no surprise the producers of MSNBC’s long-running Lockup signed a reported $100,000 contract that would allow the series to shoot inside the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in Milton, FL. The Lockup team had done about a week’s work when Florida Governor Rick Scott stepped in, and pulled the plug. As Dara Kam writes in The Palm Beach Post, the Governor says his Department of Corrections secretary, Ed Buss, didn’t have the authority to sign the contract “because it did not deal with the day-to-day operations of the state prison system.”

Before you begin wailing in outrage or anxiety over the lost episodes from Santa Rosa, know that there’s a chance all will work out in the end (unless, of course, some truly juicy prison stories happen while the Lockup cameras are locked out). The prisons boss is very much in favor of getting the show back in, and thinks it’s good for everybody:

“I have no qualms about them coming into our prisons. I’m proud of our staff and how well our facilities are run, and I hope this will help Floridians understand the challenges we face with our inmate population, as well as the benefits prisons provide to their communities through our programs and re-entry efforts,” Buss said. The release said Buss gave the film crew “unprecedented access” to inmates and staff who agreed to be on film.

Gov. Scott’s spokesman seemed to be having a little fun with the situation when asked about the chances shooting will resume soon–at least in time for the Santa Rosa episodes to air, as planned, in the fall: “Right now the Lockup contract is locked up and I don’t’ know if it’s going to be unlocked. It’s not going forward at this point.” Nuts.

Florida, lockup, msnbc, Prison, Rick Scott, Santa Rosa Correctional

Anonymous

What a shame. I wonder if they’ll think about airing some actual news shows instead? Nah, nevermind
http://www.facebook.com/people/Dronetek-Bulk-Vanderhuge/100000918732763 Dronetek Bulk Vanderhuge

People actually watch this crap?
Sheik Yerbouti

Welcome to the fiefdom of carpetbagger and tea-party appointed Dictator of Florida, his Highness Rick (the dick) Scott. No state contract over 1 million may be entered into without his prior, personal approval. Apparently, where MSNBC is concerned, he’s lowered that number to $100,000. Not surprising for the Koch brothers poster boy who claims he can reduce the prison operational costs by 1 billion dollars. And just for measure he’s signed into law a bill that does not allow felons to even apply for their rights to be restored for seven years after they’ve been released. Guess why he really dosn’t want cameras in Florida’s prisons.
Dstoops

millions of people – it’s a great series
Anonymous

It gets more viewership than their normal schedule.

I find that HILARIOUS!
Anonymous

Sounds like an endorsement to me.
Anonymous

Programs like this are why we have an uneducated voter pool.
SNAPTIE

MSNBC viewers love to get an inside look at their future home.
Anonymous

I don’t, and I get real pissed off when it comes on. Like I’m ever going to feel sorry for criminals. HA You may as well ask me to vote republican!
Anonymous

Prison-Progressive TV, oops MSDNC. Well, follow liberalism and dependency…and guess what : Lean Forward right into the police car and the jail cell. So MSDNC has a ready source of material.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_FSPIVAFYI672OH5NOKVRTEZA4U MadCharles

Lock up/pedifiles/Lock up/pedifiles/lLock Up/pedifiles… great weekend line up. At least they stay consistent with their weekday programming theme.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ZIQS6YEA47QFXGOR4JWUBU2QRM Shark City

Snap!!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NWVKX2P2QBPQ6FHQHCHVIC2ALQ Fedup in Florida

Why should felons have voting rights, until recent history it was always understood that part of the deal when committing a felony crime was the loss of voting rights. Libs are pushing for the restoration of those rights as they know that our prisons are overwhelmingly filled with their voters.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NWVKX2P2QBPQ6FHQHCHVIC2ALQ Fedup in Florida

Why should felons have voting rights, until recent history it was always understood that part of the deal when committing a felony crime was the loss of voting rights. Libs are pushing for the restoration of those rights as they know that our prisons are overwhelmingly filled with their voters.
clever

You need to go on some Meds your one sick mental paronoid fuck
Anonymous

This probably gets viewers because no matter how much you are hurting or in the alternative benefiting from society…there for the grace of — goes I.
Anonymous

MSNBC—–Florida Prison? Isn’t that where Scarborough really belongs?
Anonymous

And you remain consistent in your misspelling of PEDOPHILE……idiot…..
Hagen619dj

Why do we want to watch this sort of television anyway? Granted there isn’t much on television anymore, but watching a prison scene and how it is run is very uninteresting. Seems all we see anymore is detective stories, cop shows, forensic stuff and then prision shows. Talk about depressing. I’m glad the governor shut down the program. they are there for their punishment. They are not law abiding or they wouldn’t be there. let’s quit glamorizing these kinds of agenda’s and put on some family programs like television was suppose to be. Even alot of the news programs are showing nothing but murder stories. Good grief….isn’t there something else they can put on television that is worth watching?
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XZYA2DCANS6ZWOH7HFVG2OVXDA Neil Hussein

Well, if you want to get real in your films, you need to shoot live like the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution. This way, people know what is really happening inside. Shaw Capital Management Warning
http://www.facebook.com/SusieHile Suzanne Hile

If you have never worked in a prison you really shouldn’t talk trash and sound like an idiot. No it’s not garbage and people need to see what Correctional officers go through on a daily basis so you can sleep easy in your bed at night. Welcome to reality and stop living in your dream world. The crime rate in the U.S. is overwhelming. Stand by the officers and stop putting down the show when you have no idea what you are talking about.