About Unbound Authors
Unbound Authors was founded in 2023 by Dr. Libby Catchings and JoyBelle Phelan, a formerly incarcerated changemaker dedicated to storytelling, education, and second chances. What began as a volunteer-led writing group inside a single facility has grown into a statewide, volunteer-powered network supporting hundreds of incarcerated writers across Colorado.
Approved by the Colorado Department of Corrections, our core program — the Writers Mentoring Lab — now operates in 10 correctional facilities, offering consistent in-person engagement, community feedback, and long-term mentorship. In facilities where in-person programming isn’t yet possible, we provide asynchronous support and editorial feedback.
In 2025, we’re expanding our reach through the launch of a statewide anthology, newspaper, and creative arts magazine, in partnership with Pollen Initiative and the University of Denver. After previous publications shuttered in 2023, these projects offer new platforms for system-impacted authors to publish, inform, and inspire.
Our work is rooted in a bold but simple belief: Every writer — regardless of legal status, training, or circumstance — deserves to be seen, heard, and supported.
Since launching in 2023, Unbound Authors has built a volunteer-powered, statewide network supporting incarcerated writers across Colorado.
What We Do
At the heart of Unbound Authors is the Writers Mentoring Lab — a volunteer-led, study-hall-style space that supports incarcerated writers at every stage of their journey. Whether someone is picking up a pen for the first time or working toward publication, our labs offer a scaffolded approach to literacy, storytelling, and self-expression.
We operate weekly or biweekly labs in 10 Colorado correctional facilities, where writers receive:
- Individualized support tailored to their reading and writing level
- Creative prompts that spark imagination and encourage experimentation
- Literacy-building exercises for those developing foundational skills
Our model is rooted in differentiation and dignity: There are no entry requirements, no grades, and no one-size-fits-all curriculum. Writers chart their own course, and we meet them with the right tools — whether that’s a grammar brush-up, a discussion about voice and tone, or help shaping a story that matters deeply to them.
Every writer — regardless of legal status, training, or circumstance — deserves to be seen, heard, and supported.
A multi-platform publishing program
In 2025, Unbound Authors received statewide approval from the Colorado Department of Corrections to launch a multi-platform publishing program — a bold next step in our mission to ensure incarcerated writers are not only supported, but heard.
These new offerings will provide meaningful opportunities for system-impacted writers to publish, inform, and inspire both inside and beyond prison walls. While still in early development, the publishing program will include:
- Statewide Prison Newspaper
A CDOC-approved, regularly distributed publication created by and for incarcerated people.
- Creative Arts Magazine
A full-color print journal showcasing visual art and literary work by incarcerated creators.
- Annual Anthology
A themed collection of nonfiction, poetry, fiction, and hybrid work — curated, edited, and published with care.
- Online Publishing Platform
A digital space where selected work can reach public audiences — centered on narrative integrity, writer consent, and systems-informed storytelling.
Unbound Authors’ impact continues to grow — directly serving over 500 incarcerated writers across ten Colorado facilities.
Impact
Grounded in consistency, creativity, and care, Unbound Authors has built a volunteer-powered, statewide network supporting incarcerated writers across Colorado. Since launching in 2023, our impact continues to grow:
- Over 500 incarcerated writers served through direct, sustained engagement
- 366 Writers Mentoring Lab sessions facilitated, totaling more than 550 hours of in-person programming
- 10 correctional facilities reached, with expansion to two more sites planned for 2026
- Foundational literacy support provided, including scaffolded instruction for writers at all levels
- Long-term mentoring relationships built, with writers returning weekly to revise and grow
- Statewide publishing program launched, including a CDOC-approved newspaper, creative arts magazine, and anthology (2025)
- Partnerships developed with the Colorado Department of Corrections, University of Denver, Pollen Initiative, and the Colorado Coalition for Higher Education in Prison (C-CHEP)
- Public engagement strengthened through events like our Storytelling Soirée and community collaborations that bring the voices of incarcerated writers beyond the walls
We believe that consistent, compassionate creative programming isn’t a luxury — it’s a right. And when writers behind the walls are supported, whole communities benefit.
