Angele Cooper and Gabrielle “Gabby” Arrington were participants in Season 4 of the A&E reality series “60 Days In,” where volunteers go undercover as inmates in a county jail to expose issues from within the system. Angele’s time on the show ended prematurely when she breached the program’s protocol by revealing her true identity as a participant to an inmate she had developed a romantic relationship with. This compromised the safety of the program and the other participants, leading to her early extraction. Gabrielle completed the program but faced challenges, including conflicts with other inmates and the emotional toll of the experience.
During their time on “60 Days In,” Angele and Gabrielle had different experiences. Angele, a social worker from Los Angeles, entered the program to better understand the system she often saw her clients go through. However, her journey took an unexpected turn when she formed a close bond with an inmate named Gabrielle. Their relationship grew to the point where Angele disclosed her true identity as an undercover participant. This revelation was a significant breach of the show’s rules, as it could have endangered the safety of the other participants and the integrity of the program. The producers decided to remove Angele from the jail immediately to assess and mitigate any potential risks her disclosure might have caused.
Gabrielle, known as Gabby on the show, had her own set of challenges. She aimed to understand the criminal justice system better, as her brother had been incarcerated. Throughout her time in the jail, Gabby faced the harsh realities of incarceration, including navigating the social hierarchy among inmates and dealing with the psychological impact of being in jail. Despite these difficulties, Gabby managed to complete the program and provided valuable feedback to the jail administration about her observations and experiences.
Both Angele and Gabrielle’s experiences on “60 Days In” highlighted the complexities of life behind bars and the challenges that both inmates and the system face. Their stories contributed to the broader conversation about the need for reform and the importance of understanding the human element within the criminal justice system.
