Unloop was started in 2015 when some Seattle area techies visited a coding program at Peninsula College inside Clallam Bay Corrections Center.

Through conversations with students, community members, administrators, and employers, the need became clear: provide more access to software development education for currently and formerly incarcerated people, and work within the tech industry to create pathways to living wage careers.

Over the course of countless ideas and conversations, Unloop worked with Tacoma Community College to launch its first one-year cohort at Washington Corrections Center for Women in 2016 and then an additional one-year cohort at Monroe Correctional Complex in 2017 in partnership with Edmonds College. Since then, these two colleges have graduated hundreds of students.  

When graduates of the programs began to return to their communities in 2019, Unloop began to in earnest focus on reentry services and supporting participants in continuing down their education pathways into careers. During 2019, Unloop launched its first iteration of the Unloop Bootcamp, launched its industry mentor program, and brought together tech employers to offer internships and employment opportunities to graduates. In 2020, Unloop launched its next iteration of the Bootcamp as well as Unloop Studio, its own in-house software development agency and social enterprise. 

The Unloop community has grown to include hundreds of students, alumni, technologists, educators, advocates, donors, and partners all working to build a pathway to living wage careers in software development for people with criminal records. We welcome conversation and dialogue about the journey, successes, failures, and tension we hold doing this work. Be in touch!