The Guy Walking Out of Prison Today Is Our New Neighbor

He may not be ready. One program seeks to fix that.

More than 7,000 people walk out of Colorado state prisons every year. Within one year of release, roughly one in four return. About half of those returns are not for new crimes – they are for technical parole violations like a missed check-in or a failed drug test.

They become our neighbors. They apply for jobs at local businesses. But many weren’t ready for the outside. That return rate is our problem, not just theirs.

The question worth asking is why the cycle keeps repeating. In my latest episode of Criminal INjustice, I got one of the clearest answers I’ve heard.

I sat down with JoyBelle Phelan, executive director of Unbound Authors, a writing program operating inside Colorado’s Department of Corrections. JoyBelle was an inmate at Denver Women’s Correctional Facility and La Vista in Pueblo. And now she walks into Colorado prisons every week to teach men and women how to express themselves. writing. Something so basic is foundational to success in life:

“What we’re actually doing is communication skills. You have to know how to craft an email, how to give feedback to a co-worker, how to work on a team. To the best of my knowledge, no other program in prison is teaching communication skills. And you will need that no matter where you work, who you talk to.”

The Gap Nobody Talks About

Colorado prisons offer GED classes, vocational training, and substance abuse treatment. What they do not offer is help with the most fundamental requirement of holding a job: the ability to communicate. How do you write a professional message? How do you respond to criticism from a supervisor? How do you resolve a conflict with a coworker without walking out?

JoyBelle left prison and reentered society twice. “I always say I had to go (to prison) twice to learn everything I needed to learn,” she said. On paper, she looked like she would be successful the first time: no prior record, completed her programming, and articulate. But she reoffended.

“When things go bad, you go to what you know. And for me, I knew how to steal money from an employer. So I did the exact same thing.”

Her story points to something structural, not personal. Colorado’s pre-release program – now called Restore – is available only to people within six months of their parole date. That excludes most people heading to community corrections, who often have earlier release timelines. JoyBelle came out through a Commerce City halfway house in 2015 with no job placement support and no practical guidance on navigating civilian life. The preparation gap is built into the system.

That one-in-four return rate costs taxpayers money, costs communities safety, and costs the individuals involved everything. The communication skills gap JoyBelle identified is not the only cause – but it is one nobody else in Colorado’s prison system is addressing.

Unbound Authors: What It Does

Unbound Authors is the writing center of the Colorado DOC. It operates in 13 of Colorado’s 21 state prisons in person and reaches all of them through a computer tablet system. Any incarcerated person – working on a college assignment, writing a letter to their kids, or drafting a piece they hope to publish – can get feedback from a trained volunteer.

The organization is also reviving the statewide prison newspaper, formerly called The Inside Report, as a creative arts magazine. Editorial team members work from eight facilities across Colorado. The goal is not just creative expression. It is teaching people how to research, draft, take feedback, and publish – the full communication cycle employers expect and most people take for granted.

What You Can Do

Volunteer or donate. Unbound Authors’ May 15, 2026, Storytelling Soiree is an opportunity to get a first look at the new Inside Report magazine. If you have a background in writing, journalism, or communication, you can give feedback to incarcerated writers through the tablet platform – no in-person prison visit required.

Listen to one of the podcasts produced by Colorado Radio for Justice. JoyBelle hosts a podcast called Unlocking Change, interviewing people addressing criminal justice policy. The podcast Up To The Minute tracks the latest developments in criminal justice legislation.

Vote like it matters. Colorado is electing a new governor and filling state legislative seats this year. Ask candidates directly about the parole board, halfway house capacity, and reentry investment. The recidivism numbers are a policy failure. Policy can change them.

At Krizman Law, I represent people at every stage of Colorado’s criminal legal process. That means thinking not just about what happens in the courtroom, but about sentencing, reentry, and what life looks like on the other side. The conversation with JoyBelle is a reminder that those outcomes are not fixed. They are a function of what we invest – or don’t – in the people coming home.

Listen to the full episode of Criminal INjustice wherever you get your podcasts.

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