I Have a Job That Shouldn't Exist

Using lights, a camera and a tried-and-true narrative formula, Matt Nadel produces short films about incarcerated people in New York. His goal? To persuade the governor, Kathy Hochul, to grant his clients clemency. Thanks to the tough-on-crime zeitgeist that began in the 1980s, governors have often come to view clemency as a political liability rather than an opportunity to give people second chances. Grants of clemency in New York, for example, have plummeted as a result. Filmmakers like Mr. Nadel — hired by lawyers — have become a last resort. “It feels like I’m trying to hack a broken system,” he says. But as Mr. Nadel argues in this Opinion Video, it shouldn’t require such an elaborate production to get people out of prison. More from The New York Times Video: Opinion Video: https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/opi... Subscribe: http://bit.ly/U8Ys7n ---------- Whether it's reporting on conflicts abroad and political divisions at home, or covering the latest style trends and scientific developments, New York Times video journalists provide a revealing and unforgettable view of the world. It's all the news that's fit to watch.