CSU Writing Program Gives Voice to Incarcerated Writers Across Northern Colorado
Colorado State University's Speak Out program has provided weekly writing workshops to justice-involved individuals in Larimer County for 20 years, publishing 36 journals of original writing that have reached readers worldwide while creating therapeutic spaces for hundreds of confined writers to process trauma and imagine different futures.
The Community Literacy Center program, housed in CSU's English Department, now operates six weekly workshops serving approximately 70 to 90 writers across multiple facilities including Community Corrections, according to Professor Toby Jacoby, who directs the center. The program recently expanded to include both mixed-gender and women-only groups at Community Corrections after participants requested additional sessions.
"What happens in the room is much harder to hold onto," Jacoby told Larimer County commissioners November 5. "It's about being able to see one another in ways that perhaps you haven't in the past, and to recognize commonalities in experience."
Program Counters Negative Educational Experiences
The workshops intentionally reject conventional academic assessment, offering writing as what Jacoby called "an extracurricular kind of writing program" without grades or red pens. Many participants arrive having experienced writing instruction as criticism rather than creative expression.
"For some people who find themselves in our workshops, writing has not been a positive experience," Jacoby said. "We really want to counter that story for people."
Sessions typically run 60 to 90 minutes and accommodate up to 15 writers alongside three to four trained volunteers from CSU's English Department. The program emphasizes what participants choose to explore rather than prescribed curriculum.
Forrest Mangus, a Community Corrections resident who participated in the workshops, described the program's distinctive atmosphere during the commissioners' work session.
"I love those moments when the room is completely silent, aside from the scratch of lead or ink on paper," one writer's reflection stated in published materials. "Silence enough to think clearly in here is uncommonly precious."
Publication Extends Voices Beyond Walls
The program prints 500 copies of each journal biannually through a partnership with Top Hat Publisher, which donates the printing costs. The journals travel to little libraries, cafes, public libraries and similar programs internationally.
"The Speak Out Journal has been published for many years," Jacoby said. "They have traveled all over the world." A former intern from China took copies back to her home country and launched a similar program based on the model.
Writers can request copies of journals containing their work to share with case managers, attorneys or family members. Some have used the publications in legal proceedings to help officials understand their rehabilitation progress.
The November 2024 journal titled "The Soul Speaks" features original artwork from workshop participants alongside collaborative and individual pieces. One collaborative poem from men at Community Corrections titled "Starting Over" concluded with the lines: "I would end this now, preventing ever having to start over. I will."
University Partnership Sustained Through Multiple Funding Sources
CSU established the Community Literacy Center around 2005 as an outreach initiative of the English Department, launching Speak Out with a single women's workshop at the Larimer County Detention Center, according to university publications. The center has since expanded to serve confined men, women and youth at various crisis centers including Turning Point, Matthews House and Remington House.
The program operates through combined funding from the English Department, College of Liberal Arts, university grants and regional family foundations. The center earned recognition as "Program of the Year" at the 2023 Larimer County Jail volunteer banquet.
Beyond Speak Out, the Community Literacy Center runs programs including Rekindle the Classics public literary discussions and the Youth Science Civic Inquiry Institute. The center is affiliated with the National Writing Project, which has operated teacher professional development initiatives at CSU since 2003.
Research Documents Therapeutic Benefits
Peer-reviewed studies of creative writing programs in correctional settings demonstrate consistent benefits including improved emotional regulation, reduced depressive symptoms and increased sense of agency among participants, according to criminal justice research. National programs including Changing Lives Through Literature have documented recidivism reductions from typical levels to as low as 18 percent over three years for program graduates.
Colorado Department of Corrections incorporates educational and therapeutic programming as part of its reentry and rehabilitation strategy, with creative arts typically provided through partnerships with universities and nonprofit organizations rather than core facility budgets.
Speak Out emphasizes qualitative outcomes through participant testimonials and observed behavioral changes rather than formal recidivism tracking. Writers have reported increased confidence, improved communication skills and stronger connections to community.
Jessica Cates, a Community Corrections resident who attended November's commissioners meeting, credited programming including Speak Out with supporting her successful transition this time through the system.
"The opposite of addiction is connection," Cates said. "This time around I decided that I wanted to connect."
The Community Literacy Center maintains resources at literacy.colostate.edu and welcomes inquiries about volunteer opportunities and program access.