Ep 1. New Sheriff in Town

In the first episode of season 5 of 60 Days In, titled "New Sheriff in Town," seven innocent civilians enter the Etowah County Detention Center in Alabama as undercover inmates. The sheriff's department, led by Sheriff Horton Suggs, has been under fire for its handling of the jail, with both inmates and employees coming forward with allegations of abuse and corruption.

The new inmates include a former corrections officer, a marine veteran, a teacher, a rapper, a social worker, a stay-at-home mom, and a security guard. All seven hope to gain insight into the inner workings of the jail and help bring about positive change.

As soon as they enter the jail, the new inmates experience the dehumanizing and harsh reality of life behind bars. They are strip-searched, given ill-fitting uniforms, and thrown into a pod with other inmates who quickly make them aware of the dangers and rules of their new environment.

One inmate, a former gang member named "Taco," tells the new arrivals that they must be willing to fight and defend themselves if necessary. Another inmate, a convicted murderer named "Doughboy," warns them about the corrupt guards and their tendency to abuse their power.

The new sheriff, Suggs, is brought in to lead the jail in a new direction. He promises to clean up the corruption and abuse that has plagued the facility, and hopes that the civilian inmates will help him identify problem areas.

The civilian inmates are quickly put to the test as they must navigate the complex social hierarchy and dangerous environment of the jail. They must learn to trust their fellow inmates and make strategic alliances in order to survive.

One inmate, a teacher named Abner, quickly becomes a mentor to several younger inmates and helps ease tensions in the pod. Another inmate, a former corrections officer named Mark, struggles to adjust to life as an inmate and clashes with some of the other inmates.

As the first day turns into the first week, the civilian inmates begin to see the true extent of the corruption and abuse in the jail. They witness guards turning a blind eye to inmate abuse and smuggling contraband, and they begin to fear for their own safety.

The episode ends with the civilian inmates facing the difficult decision of whether to stay in the jail or quit the program. They must weigh the risks of staying against the potential benefits of gathering information for the new sheriff and helping to bring about change in the jail.

Overall, the first episode of season 5 of 60 Days In is a dramatic and intense look at life behind bars and the efforts of civilians to bring about positive change in a corrupt and dangerous jail. So, the viewers are left with a cliffhanger as to whether the civilian inmates will complete their 60-day mission or quit the program to return to their normal lives.