A&E Network's "60 Days in Jail" TV series follows seven "innocent participants" who go undercover as inmates in the Clark County jail. The 12-episode season premieres March 10 at 9 p.m.

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — The announcement of a national TV series featuring a jail facility in Indiana that’s set to begin airing next month raised concerns for some local leaders, but those concerns seem to be easing up.

The 12-part docu-series “60 Days In Jail” premieres March 10 on A&E Network. Viewers will follow the journey of seven undercover participants who volunteered to stay in the Clark County jail in Jeffersonville for 60 days without the other inmates or corrections officers knowing their real story.

Clark County Commissioner Jack Coffman said he didn’t know about the show until the last week. He said he and Lisa Glickfield, an attorney for the commissioners, had some questions.

“I’m not quite sure what type of waivers were executed, and in addition, we have an insurance company that covers the county building for any type of accidents, injuries, things that might occur,” Glickfield said. “So it’s definitely a concern for an insurance company regarding the type of contracts, documentation, waivers, different things that may have been signed and drafted that we just haven’t seen yet.”

Councilwoman Kelly Khuri said she found out about the show from news reports. “I was very surprised,” she told the Jeffersonville (Indiana) News and Tribune. “I’m very agitated and concerned because who ultimately is going to be responsible if there are any liabilities because of this high-risk venture?” she said.

Khuri also told commissioners she doesn’t think the jail’s “deficiencies” should be aired on national television. She requested to meet with commissioners, attorneys and Noel.

Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel previously said that anyone who agreed to appear on camera during the roughly six months of filming had to sign a waiver. Inmates and officers knew a show was being filmed but were not aware that some of the participants were undercover. For any inmate who did not want to appear on camera, a transfer to a different pod was offered, or their face was blurred out on television, Noel added.

Noel said he had his personal attorney and lawyers with the Indiana Sheriff’s Association review all contracts and waivers. As far as liability, he said none of the participants or production crew were injured during filming. Any legal expenses, he added, were covered by the production.

While very few people knew that seven volunteers were undercover in the jail, Noel said he did make commissioners and council members aware that a show was being filmed.

“I stood at the podium during the sheriff’s comments (at a public meeting) when we started this program,” Noel said. “Of course I didn’t go into the undercover aspect of it because I would never discuss any undercover operation in public.”

Glickfield said she believes that’s true.

“And in all honesty none of this was hidden that A&E was here in the building,” she said, “so I do not believe anything deceptive was done in any way, shape or form. I think the extent of the knowledge was very little; however, I also understand the need for some of that confidentiality.”

Clark County Councilman Joe Hubbard said he found out about the show a week or two ago when Noel showed him the jail’s control room cameras and the new cameras left behind by the production.

“The first thing I asked was, ‘Were there any taxpayer dollars used for the production?’, and he said ‘No,’ ” Hubbard said, adding that he then asked Noel about liability issues. “I believe he took the steps needed to make sure we were all covered.”

DePompei writes for the Jeffersonville (Indiana) News and Tribune.