Unchained

What Unchained does

Unchained is a Syracuse, New York-based nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2017 by Derek Singletary, who has been incarcerated in New York State since 2010, and Emily NaPier Singletary. The organization focuses on dismantling the carceral state and prison industrial complex by centering the leadership of currently and formerly incarcerated individuals in policy development, community organizing, research, and liberation education. Its core constituents are currently incarcerated individuals, formerly incarcerated individuals re-entering society, their loved ones, and allied community members ("Co-Conspirators") across New York State, with a membership infrastructure called the Unchained Gang.

The organization's portfolio spans advocacy campaigns (#LessIsMoreNY and #PhoneHomeNY), programs (UnchainNY apprenticeship for formerly incarcerated organizers and Freedom Academy workshops on civic engagement and prison abolition), the Derek's Blog publication, research reports and fact sheets, and a small merchandise shop. Unchained does not build proprietary technology; its stack is a Squarespace website plus Action Network for fundraising, event registration, and petition infrastructure. The most consequential outcome to date is co-leading the 300+ organization coalition that passed New York's Less Is More Act in 2021, which took effect in March 2022 and has been associated with a ~90% decline in technical parole violations, 20,000+ early discharges from parole, and a 40%+ reduction in the statewide parole population.

Unchained is funded through a combination of individual donations (collected via Action Network), grant funding, and merchandise sales (stickers $4-$5, polo shirts $25, t-shirts from $27). Services and programs are provided free to members and the community. With 1-10 employees and no disclosed financial figures, the organization operates as a small, lean nonprofit whose strategic value lies in its policy influence, coalition leadership, and the lived-expertise credibility of its co-founders rather than in revenue scale.

Name

Unchained

Legal name

Unchained

Website

https://weareunchained.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Unchained is a Syracuse, New York nonprofit advocacy organization that centers currently and formerly incarcerated individuals in policy reform, community organizing, and liberation education across New York State, best known for co-leading the Less Is More Act coalition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Syracuse, New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization accepts donations through Action Network fundraising platform, with a prominent donate button on the website.
2. Merchandise Sales: Unchained operates an online shop selling branded merchandise including stickers ($4-$5), polo shirts ($25), and t-shirts ($27+) to raise funds and spread awareness.
3. Grant Funding: The organization pursues grant funding to support operations, as evidenced by references to grant applications in organizational documents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Unchained is a nonprofit advocacy organization that organizes and advocates to dismantle the carceral state and guarantee access to dynamic, culturally relevant education. It runs policy campaigns (Less Is More NY, PhoneHomeNY), a paid apprenticeship program for formerly incarcerated community organizers, civic education workshops through Freedom Academy, a membership community for directly impacted individuals and allies, and produces research publications and policy briefs. Programs and advocacy services are offered free to members and the community; branded merchandise is sold online to generate revenue and awareness.

Product overview

Unchained is a non-profit advocacy organization (not a technology product company) that offers a portfolio of campaigns, programs, and initiatives focused on dismantling the carceral state. The core offerings include: #LessIsMoreNY and #PhoneHomeNY advocacy campaigns; the UnchainNY Apprenticeship Program for formerly incarcerated community organizers; Freedom Academy workshops on civic engagement and prison abolition; Unchained Gang membership for directly impacted individuals; publications including research reports and fact sheets; and a merchandise shop selling branded items. The organization does not offer a software product, platform, or technology-as-a-service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• #LessIsMoreNY Campaign Statewide campaign to overhaul New York's parole system, preventing reincarceration for minor non-criminal violations and incentivizing compliance through early discharge from supervision; targets policymakers, coalition partners, and the general public.
• #PhoneHomeNY Campaign Campaign advocating for incarcerated people in New York to make phone calls from their cells through state-sanctioned tablets, reducing violence and health risks associated with shared wall phones; targets policymakers and corrections stakeholders.
• UnchainNY Apprenticeship Program Year-long paid apprenticeship program that develops formerly incarcerated individuals as community organizers, combining classroom learning with hands-on opportunities; targets formerly incarcerated individuals in New York State.
• Freedom Academy Workshop initiative covering civic engagement, history of mass incarceration and prison abolition, and community organizing; offers summer school and fall semester courses for members and the broader community.
• Unchained Gang Membership Membership community for New Yorkers directly impacted by incarceration (currently incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, loved ones) and Co-Conspirators who support the mission; provides organizing, advocacy, and mutual support.
• Unchained Shop Online merchandise store selling branded items including stickers (Prison Abolition Now!, Unchained Logo, Queer Liberation), t-shirts, and polo shirts to support the organization and spread awareness.
• Derek's Blog (The Revolutionary Pen) Blog written by Co-Founder Derek Singletary from prison, documenting his experiences and perspectives on incarceration and advocacy; serves as a public-facing publication for awareness and fundraising support.
• Publications Reports, fact sheets, and policy documents including Less Is More Act implementation reports, the PhoneHomeNY fact sheet, and community reinvestment research conducted with Columbia Justice Lab.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% decline in people detained in local jails for technical parole violations since Less Is More Act
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and moderate.

• KatalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Co-led the statewide Less Is More campaign with 300+ organizations to pass parole reform legislation in New York State. Katal served as a key organizational partner in coalition leadership alongside Unchained.
• Columbia Justice LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnership to conduct qualitative research via town hall discussions on how New Yorkers want to see cost-savings from the Less Is More Act reinvested into communities disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system.
• Syracuse University Department of SociologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing case study collaboration examining implementation of the Less Is More Act in Onondaga County, involving court watching at parole revocation hearings and qualitative interviews with stakeholders.
• #FundExcludedWorkers CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnchained supports the Unemployment Bridge Program campaign led by the coalition to provide unemployment benefits for workers not covered by traditional unemployment, including undocumented workers and people in re-entry.
• Center for Community AlternativesmoderateOthersEmily NaPier Singletary spent 12 years at the organization; Dr. Marsha Weissman, former Executive Director, serves on Unchained's board. Shared organizational mission around criminal justice reform creates ongoing alignment.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• JustLeadershipUSA: National organization dedicated to elevating the leadership of directly impacted people to decarcerate the United States; highly comparable to Unchained's directly impacted leadership model and reform mission.

Broad incumbents

• FAMM (Families Against Mandatory Minimums): National advocacy organization fighting mandatory sentencing laws and supporting reform; comparable to Unchained in criminal justice policy advocacy though with a national rather than state-specific focus.
• Brennan Center for Justice: National law and policy institute working on reform of the criminal justice system; comparable to Unchained's policy-research-and-advocacy model though operating at significantly larger institutional scale and breadth.
• Equal Justice Initiative: National organization focused on ending mass incarceration and challenging racial and economic injustice; shares Unchained's criminal justice reform and abolition-oriented framing while operating at much larger national scale.
• The Sentencing Project: National research and advocacy organization advancing criminal justice reform, including parole and supervision reform; a broader incumbent in the same policy advocacy space as Unchained with similar research-and-reform orientation.
• Vera Institute of Justice: National research and advocacy organization focused on criminal justice reform; broader and more resourced than Unchained but operates in the same reform space with overlapping research-driven policy advocacy on parole and incarceration.

Direct peers

• Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice: New York-based advocacy organization that co-led the 300+ organization Less Is More coalition with Unchained; operates in the same criminal justice reform space in New York with overlapping campaigns and member networks.
• Center for Community Alternatives: New York nonprofit providing alternatives to incarceration and reentry support; deeply comparable to Unchained given Emily NaPier Singletary's 12-year tenure there and shared board-level personnel and mission alignment.
• Center for Justice Innovation: New York-based organization operating alternative-to-incarceration programs and court-based reform; comparable to Unchained given Jirah Johnson's role as Associate Director of Program Operations there and overlapping criminal legal system reform agenda.

Others

• Columbia Justice Lab: Columbia University research initiative conducting criminal justice research and policy work; an active research partner of Unchained and a strong peer in evidence-based criminal justice reform work.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unchainednow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Unchained