Documentary filmmaker Matt Nadel worked with Transforming Lives to launch the Advocacy Video Project, an initiative producing 5 to 15-minute documentaries, or “advocacy videos,” that help New Yorkers get out of jail or prison and get back to their communities. Produced in collaboration with public defenders and trusted legal organizations, the artist’s advocacy videos provide a holistic picture of system-impacted New Yorkers’ lives, insisting on their humanity and improving their criminal-legal outcomes at two stages: pre-sentencing (i.e. people in plea negotiation or sentencing) and post-conviction (i.e. people who have served years in prison and are applying for clemency or resentencing). The collaboration resulted in the creation of 27 advocacy videos, more than half of which have already led to significant improvements in case outcomes, including two grants of executive clemency and more than 25 combined years of incarceration saved for pre-sentencing clients.

Transforming Lives NY reimagines rehabilitation by connecting incarcerated people with essential human connection through letter writing and journaling. They advocate for their well-being while educating the public about the injustices of the criminal legal system, aiming to transform the lives of those both inside and outside the walls.