This Tiny Box Can Keep 1 in 4 American Adults Out of Work

After being released from prison, they were eager to find employment and get their lives back on track. But on countless job applications, one simple question stood in their way.

More than 70 million American adults, or 29 percent of the U.S. adult population, have a criminal record. And these conviction histories can haunt the formerly incarcerated for the rest of their lives. In this video, filmed at and made possible by the William Vale Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a group of New Yorkers who spent time incarcerated share the far-reaching impact their records have had on their lives.

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Equality Equation, a producer on this project, is a digital media lab based in NYC that catalyzes seismic social and cultural change by harnessing the power of art, activism + media. Yaara Sumeruk, who edited this project, is a director and editor based in Brooklyn, New York.