Eastside, a participant in a recent Netflix series that documented a prison in the US, has passed away aged 29.
John McAllister, known as 'Eastside' from the Netflix series Unlocked: A Jail Experiment, was a key personality in the documentary.
The popular series took place in Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility, as the warden trialed a groundbreaking new method of rehabilitation.
Instead of locking the prisoners down for 23 hours a day and having them under constant supervision, they were given full reign over their living arrangements and supervision was minimal.
The idea was to see whether giving inmates more responsibility would benefit them in terms of rehabilitation and their behavior while in prison.
Ahead of the series release, Arkansas Sheriff Eric Higgins discussed his innovative vision for the experiment with Netflix’s Tudum.
"We thought, ‘What can we do to create some ownership for those detainees in that unit? How do we make the facility safer, and what can we do to still hold them accountable but empower them at the same time?’" Higgins said.
McAllister was a prominent figure in the Netflix series.
Last year, he was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted of ten felony counts, including drug offenses, breaking and entering, theft of property, and firearms possession.
This was not McAllister’s first run-in with the law; he had been incarcerated 14 times since the age of 19.
While at Williams Correctional Facility, McAllister served as the prison tattoo artist, regularly inking his fellow inmates.
His participation in Unlocked: A Jail Experiment brought him international recognition.
McAllister shared insights into his criminal past during interviews for the series, revealing how the thrill of breaking the law gave him an adrenaline rush.
"All I've been around is criminals… I love that adrenaline rush high, knowing you could get caught," he said.
The 29-year-old was rushed to Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff, Arkansas before being pronounced dead on June 2.
He was discovered in his bunk and the correctional facility, with authorities ruling out suicide and murder, per KATV.
McAllister was due to be released 30 days after he passed away.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by McAllister's aunt to support his family as they prepare to have a "celebration of his life".
McAllister's sudden death is currently under investigation.