Kumari Shreya
Netflix’s ‘Unlocked: A Jail Experiment’ has captured the attention of many thanks to the unique nature of the idea being implemented by Sheriff Eric Higgins. The concept affected the lives of various inmates, including Daniel Gatlin, who is more popularly referred to as Crooks. The experiment allowed him to not only socialize but also think more about his past and future, something that he came to appreciate later. Even those close to the inmate could not help but remark on how he had changed during the experiment.
Daniel Gatlin AKA Crooks Resolved to Change His Ways
While on the Netflix series, Daniel Gatlin explained that those around him mostly called him Crooks. He alluded that this was because “My teeth are kind of crooked a little bit. My smile’s a bit crooked. My eyebrows are a little crooked. One of my ears is higher than the other one. Just kind of stuck.” He openly admitted that he was a criminal who, in the past, had cared for nothing around him, even calling himself a “scumbag.” Crooks went on to add that he was a meth addict, having worked as a dealer for the same since the age of 13.
Crooks claimed that most of the criminals that were around him had started on the path due to a traumatic event in their past. He added the same was the case for him when he lost his father in a car accident at the age of nine. “I guess he was drinking. He was racing somebody down the street. You know how you pull up, hit your engine? They’re racing, and he was drunk and hit a telephone pole,” Crooks shared, adding how he blamed everyone around him and God for the accident. Hence, he had apparently started to do drugs but had decided to sober up when he was arrested.
As such, Crooks had been quite on board with the plan proposed by the sheriff. At the time of his introduction to the show, he had been sober for three months and truly believed that this would help him stay clean in the future. He also added how the experiment had helped him realize that he could have a “normal” life and create a path for himself that would not have him always looking behind his back and being worried about being caught by the police.
In fact, making good use of the free phone calls that were provided by the experiment, Crooks shared with his mother that he wanted to change his ways. His mother had indeed seemed relieved about the prospect. Crooks also expressed the desire to go to a rehabilitation center to deal with his addiction. During the later part of the experiment, Crooks was visited by his sister Juanita, who remarked how he seemed to have changed in a positive way since the experiment had started.
Daniel Gatlin AKA Crooks Was Arrested Again
Following the Netflix experiment, Daniel Gatlin, AKA Crooks, had been released from Pulaski County Detention Facility. He even showcased his gratitude for the experiment through a video message in which he praised the experiment and thanked Sheriff Eric Higgins for the opportunity he had given to the residents of H-Unit. However, Crooks’ brush with the law is far from over, and he was recently involved in another legal matter.
In the late hours of January 4, 2024, Crooks was arrested in Florida’s Martin County. He was allegedly arrested while trying to sell quite a few pounds of drugs to undercover police officers, leading to his arrest. The Netflix inmate is believed to be a member of the Sureños gang, which, in turn, is apparently suspected to be linked to the Mexican mafia. According to official reports, Crooks told the investigators that he had gotten the drugs at the Mexican border.
Due to the high amount of drugs that had been found on Crooks, the investigators believed him to be more well-connected than average street dealers. Given the nature of his crimes, it is suspected that he will likely be sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison after being arrested without the possibility of being bonded out. Police also confirmed that Crooks had especially traveled to Martin County to supply drugs to the officers whom he had believed to be customers.
“I hate Martin County bro, I told you guys I didn’t want to come to Martin County, but I did, and I’m here,” Crooks had allegedly said to the undercover police officer after coming to the area over a phone call. The police also expressed their belief he had more drugs hidden at this residence, as he apparently had two more pounds of meth and a few grams of fentanyl at his residence at North West 16th Street, Stuart, Florida, which was confiscated later.
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