60 Days In sheriff who brought seven undercover volunteers into his jail to SPY on inmates reveals the truth about their time behind bars - and how he kept them safe from being outed as 'snitches' by real criminals

The sheriff starring in the brand new season of hit reality show 60 Days In has opened up about his shock decision to bring seven undercover volunteers into his Utah jail to spy on inmates - while furiously hitting out at skeptics of the A&E series. 

Sheriff Mike Smith sent seven members of the public, including a lingerie model and a former drug addict, into his Utah County Jail to spy on the real inmates in an attempt to 'make things better' inside the facility, an experiment that will now be aired in season nine of the reality show.

Now, in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Sheriff Smith has addressed claims that the gruesome conditions inside the jail are exaggerated for effect, saying that the seven outsiders placed behind bars are given exactly the same treatment as other inmates and 'get nothing extra or special or different'. 

When asked what he would say to those who are so skeptical of the A&E show, he replied: 'First off, before I agreed to do this, I was one of those critics so I don't have time for that, and I made that clear before we agreed to do this that I don't have time to make a TV show to if it's fake.

'I don't need drama introduced into my facility, I just don't need the headache. So, I actually did my homework on this, I called other sheriffs that had knowledge of it, and I can say that these participants are introduced into our facility and really what happens, happens.

The sheriff starring in the brand new season of 60 Days In has hit out at skeptics of the reality TV show

Season nine of 60 Days In will see seven participants go undercover in the Utah County Jail

'It's just the life inside of a jail, there was no artificial drama introduced - it is what it is,' he claimed ahead of the first episode of season 9, which premieres on A&E on May 30. 

The chosen participants - Scarlett, Qwell, Nina, Corey, Fabian, A.B. and Daniel - are seen heading into the jail and going undercover to shed light on an influx of drugs, contraband and gang activity to help Sheriff Smith identify issues and create positive change for both inmates and staff.

When asked if he thinks all seven of them can handle life in jail, Sheriff Smith replied: 'They all went through a process, including a psychological evaluation, to go in. 

'I think maybe some of them are underestimating what it's going to be like, but for me, it's all in the mindset. People are amazing, and they can do whatever they want if they set their mind to it.'

Addressing whether the participants could be at risk if their true identities were found out, he continued: 'So, our job is to keep everybody in the facility safe, right? And regardless of whether it's real inmates or these participants, our job is to keep the environment safe. 

'So, there's always a risk involved that something could happen, but whether they're in or not, that risk exists and we made sure that we were doing everything we needed to do to minimize every risk to keep people safe, but we do that on a daily basis.'

When asked if the real inmates would view the participants as 'snitches,' Sheriff Smith reiterated that 'they don't know who they are,' even though the seven individuals go in with fake charges.

'There's a potential that if they found out who they were, they would see them that way. That's why it's important to keep it controlled and to maintain their cover,' he explained before revealing how they explained the camera crew to the inmates.

Sheriff Mike Smith stressed that 'no artificial drama' was added to the television series

Two participants heading into the jail are lingerie model Scarlett (left) and former drug addict Daniel

The participants will be spying on the real inmates for drug use and contraband

'Of course, we have cameras throughout the whole facility already, but for this production there were cameras in there and they were told that we were doing a documentary about life in jail, which we were, the name 60 Days In was just never used.'

In an exclusive first look at season nine, viewers get a glimpse at the seven individuals who are prepared to sleep in a jail cell in order to help Sheriff Smith improve his facility.

At the beginning of the two-minute clip, Sheriff Smith explains: 'They'll see everything the inmates are doing that the deputies can't see. They'll find contraband, if it's in the jail, as well as weapons and hopefully they can help identify how to reduce recidivism.

'Each of them brings a unique perspective and after 60 days inside, they'll share everything that they've learnt. It's a difficult and dangerous job, but I'm counting on them.'

One of the participants, named Qwell, currently works as a police officer and used to be a correction officer on Rikers Island which is a notorious 413-acre prison island in the East River in the Bronx, New York City.

'I've been assaulted, I've been jumped, I've been punched. So when I go in, I'm gonna show you who really runs this,' Qwell warns in the clip, while a bail bondswoman named Nina claims: 'I'm not afraid of this at all, I'm here for a good time.'

Another participant named Fabian reveals that he was in prison for five years previously and is no stranger to 'the street life,' as he claims: 'I'm the type of person that if you f*ck me over, I'm going to f*ck you over even better.'

A.B. is a law student while Nina (right) is a bail bondswoman who says she's 'not afraid of this at all'

Qwell used to be a correction officer on Rikers Island which is a notorious 413-acre prison island in New York

The real inmates at Utah County Jail think that documentary is being filmed and are unaware of the TV show 60 Days In

Fabian was previously in prison for five years, while Corey (right) is a retail worker who has watched the show for years

A.B. who has two bachelor degrees and a masters in criminology law and society, is also heading inside and admits: 'Hopefully nobody tries no funny stuff, because law student or not, I'm still from the hood.' 

Daniel, who has been sober for almost seven and a half years, reveals that he 'detoxed from IV fentanyl on an abandoned building floor' and is adamant that he can 'last 60 days in jail.' 

Retail worker Corey has quite a different background and reveals that he is simply a 'super fan' of 60 Days In and wants to 'prove' to himself that he can do it.

60 Days In season nine premieres on Thursday, May 30 on A&E at 9/8c.