About Unbound Authors
Unbound Authors was founded in 2023 by Dr. Libby Catchings and JoyBelle Phelan, a formerly incarcerated leader dedicated to storytelling, education, and second chances. What began as a volunteer-led writing group inside a single facility has grown into a statewide writing and publishing initiative reaching incarcerated writers across all Colorado correctional facilities.
In partnership with the Colorado Department of Corrections, Unbound Authors now operates as a distributed writing center—offering in-person Writing Labs in facilities across the state alongside tablet-based access through Securus Lantern. Together, these pathways provide consistent opportunities for writers to build communication skills, receive feedback, and engage in a community of learning and growth.
Our model centers communication as a foundational skill for reentry, education, and civic participation. Through writing, participants develop critical abilities in idea development, audience awareness, revision, and collaborative feedback—skills that translate directly to higher education, workforce readiness, and leadership.
In 2025, Unbound Authors launched Mercury Mountain Media, its publishing imprint, producing Messenger Quarterly, a statewide newspaper, and Mosaics, a creative arts magazine. These publications serve as a practicum—offering real-world opportunities for contributors to apply their skills, share perspectives, and participate in a collaborative production process.
Unbound Authors is part of a growing movement to expand access to education in prison. We build the foundational literacy, confidence, and communication skills that make higher education possible—long before someone steps into a college classroom.
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 are our Writing Labs—community-based spaces where incarcerated writers develop their voices, strengthen their communication skills, and receive individualized support at every stage of their journey.
Whether someone is picking up a pen for the first time or refining work for publication, our labs offer a structured yet flexible approach to writing, literacy, and expression. We facilitate in-person sessions in multiple Colorado correctional facilities, alongside tablet-based access that extends support statewide.
In our Writing Labs, participants receive:
Individualized feedback tailored to their goals, skill level, and interests
Writing prompts and exercises that spark creativity, reflection, and critical thinking
Support in building foundational literacy, as well as more advanced skills in structure, voice, and revision
Opportunities to develop real-world communication skills, including storytelling, audience awareness, and collaborative feedback
Our model is rooted in differentiation and dignity. There are no entry requirements, no grades, and no single definition of what “good writing” looks like. Participants chart their own paths, and we meet them with the tools, guidance, and encouragement to grow—whether that means strengthening sentence clarity, exploring personal narrative, or shaping a piece for a broader audience.
Writing Labs are one part of a larger ecosystem that includes structured courses, mentorship pathways, and optional opportunities to contribute to statewide publications. Together, these pathways support not just writing, but confidence, connection, and the ability to communicate ideas in meaningful and impactful ways.
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 – Messenger Quarterly
A CDOC-approved, regularly distributed publication created by and for incarcerated people.
- Creative Arts Magazine – Mosaics
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 1,200 incarcerated writers across all 21 Colorado facilities.
Impact
Grounded in consistency, creativity, and care, Unbound Authors has grown from a single-site writing initiative into a statewide network supporting incarcerated writers across Colorado.
Our in-person Writing Labs have expanded rapidly:
- 2023: 32 sessions across 3 facilities, serving 258 total attendances
- 2024: 197 sessions across 8 facilities, serving 1,286 total attendances
- 2025: 332 sessions across 12 facilities, serving 3,001 total attendances
This growth reflects not just expansion, but sustained engagement—writers returning week after week to build skills, develop their voices, and participate in a community of learning.
Today, Unbound Authors provides access to writing support in facilities across Colorado, with additional reach through tablet-based programming that extends opportunities statewide.
Our impact also includes:
- Support for writers at all levels, from foundational literacy through publication-ready work
- Ongoing mentoring relationships that center revision, growth, and consistency
- The launch of Mercury Mountain Media (2025), including Messenger Quarterly and Mosaics, creating new platforms for incarcerated voices
- Partnerships with the Colorado Department of Corrections, University of Denver, Pollen Initiative, and the Colorado Coalition for Higher Education in Prison (C-CHEP)
- Public engagement through events like the Storytelling Soirée, connecting inside voices with the broader community
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.
