‘60 Days In’ Pushes Participants to Their Limits — Are They Allowed to Quit?

The most enlightening (and often excruciating) experiment of all time is back. 60 Days In is now in its eighth season, and as the name suggests, participants go undercover in various detention centers to shed light on corruption.

However, while the entire point of the chilling A&E docuseries is to remain in prison for two months, several former cast members didn’t fulfill their time.

On Reddit, users speculated that many of the show’s participants left well before their 60 days were up — with Fulton County Jail Records reportedly indicating that Jaclin Owen, Matt Fellows, and Angele Cooper failed to complete their respective stints in Season 4.

However, Angele didn’t quit 60 Days In; the series and prison removed her because of safety issues. With Angele being sent home against her will, fans can’t help but wonder: Are participants allowed to leave on their own accord?

Yes, 60 Days In cast members can quit the show. Although production and the prison sent Angele home in the fourth season, Jaclin and Matt decided to leave early. And they aren’t the only participants who have called it quits before the 60 days.

During Season 2 of the long-standing A&E docuseries, Chris Graf entered the experiment to understand what his younger brother went through when he served time as a young man. However, the participant’s stint on the show was quickly cut short.

When Chris became violently ill, it became clear that he couldn’t complete his 60-day sentence. After vomiting for over eight hours, the 60 Days In cast member placed a towel around his neck and circled the common area of the pods, signing to production that he’d like to be let out.

Once the producers removed Chris from the experiment, they told him he could go on medical furlough for a few days until he regained his strength. However, after speaking with a prison psychologist, the Season 2 participant decided to leave 60 Days In altogether.

"I'm afraid that I'm going to get in there, and my anxiety is going to take over, and I'm going to lose control again," Chris revealed, per News and Tribune. "I'm disappointed I didn't get the experience I needed to relate to my brother.”

The 60 Days In experiment is as grueling as it gets. So much so, the participants receive special training before entering the prison to ensure their safety. Ahead of the show’s third season, Season 1 veteran Zac Baker shared his tips for completing the two months without hiccups.

The #1 rule? Don’t show any signs of weakness around the other inmates. Other advice included placing trust wisely, keeping your opinions to yourself, respecting everyone, and avoiding criminal activity.

"I started out keeping my head low, keeping quiet, kind of ignoring people,” Zac explained of his approach. “Keeping to myself [and] letting them get to the point where they trusted me.”

60 Days In airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on A&E.