Exclusive: Hollywood’s relationship to people who’ve been on the wrong side of the law is usually limited to using their struggles as plot fodder in police procedurals. From the standpoint of inclusion in the hiring system, Hollywood is mostly closed to them.

A promising program has been slowly bettering the odds. The Universal Filmed Entertainment Group has initiated an innovative effort that offers internships to formerly incarcerated people looking to change their station and gain valuable work skills to sustain careers. Organizers hope other studios and content generators will embrace a program that has offered a lifeline to some who never imagined it possible.

Alyssa Marie and Bryan McCoy are two who have had their lives changed by the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (Arc), which provides support and advocacy for the formerly incarcerated, in partnership with the Universal Inclusion Council (Uic), Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (Ufeg), and Global Talent Development...