Catch up with Sheriff Mark Lamb of Pinal County, Arizona and former New York gang member turned minister, Abner, one of the participants of the new season. In the new season of 60 Days In, Sheriff Lamb carefully selected seven innocent people to go undercover for a deep dive into the inner workings of his facility. Unlike in past seasons, the participants – ranging from a police officer to a private investigator and a series superfan, were given specific missions by the sheriff. In a jail with problems stemming from drugs, gangs and operational issues, Sheriff Lamb assigned separate objectives based on each individual’s skill sets and interests, in order to best help the facility uncover flaws and evoke change. Prior to going in, six of the participants met and trained with one another, leaving only one to enter on his own and operate as a “lone wolf” on the sheriff’s behalf. Mark Lamb was elected as the 24th Sheriff of Pinal County on January 1st, 2017. Sheriff Lamb oversees a county the size of Connecticut and manages more than 650 employees within the department. Sheriff Mark Lamb has both experience in law enforcement and the private sector. He trained with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Academy and was named Valedictorian of his class. He was hired by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, where he excelled as a police officer and was named Rookie of the Year. The following year, he received the Officer of the Year award. He was later promoted as a Detective to the Gang Enforcement Unit and in his first year was named Detective of the Year.
As an ex-convict and former gang member, Abner will blend in easily and gain the trust and respect of everyone inside, allowing him to identify the key players in gang activity. Abner grew up in a major urban area surrounded by poverty and crime. From a young age, he understood the dynamics of the streets and ultimately found his identity there. After joining a gang as a teenager, Abner started down a path of crime that he regrets to this day.