Amedeo's Brief: ‘The Pod’ is a project creating comfortable, livable tiny homes for formerly incarcerated individuals. These homes are part of a larger community that aims to solve the problem of lack of support for incarcerated people who have recently entered society. Unemployment rates for reentrants today are higher than U.S. unemployment rates during the Great Depression. This lack of support often leads to recidivism (re-entering prison after being released), with 79% of released state prisoners being rearrested within 5 years. This project seeks to solve this by combining cozy living spaces with a socially and economically supportive community to provide a better environment for newly released incarcerated people.

Caroline's Brief: The Pod is a comfortable and private space for formerly incarcerated people who are returning to society. Previously imprisoned people are sequestered from housing, employment, and society because of credit checks. Due to their status it is hard to obtain loans, credit, and open bank accounts. This causes the state prisoner recidivism rate to be around 68 percent  within the first three years after release. The Pod provides people recently released from the prison system with a permanent living space that allows them to get back on their feet. Reentry often causes people to feel isolated and unwanted. Having a place that is a part of a small community to call home  will allow formerly incarcerated people to feel supported as well as ease some of the stress of getting back on their feet.