Founding

Father Jack HickeyFather Jack Hickey founded Dismas House in 1974 along with a group of students as part of the Vanderbilt Prison Project. The idea for university students and former prisoners to share a home was conceived by a group of students and the late Father Jack Hickey, O.P., a chaplain at Vanderbilt University, as an extension of the Vanderbilt Prison Project.  Father Hickey and the students opened the first Dismas House in 1974 in Nashville.

Seven houses owe their origins to Dismas. The program has been recognized nationally for its success and has been used as a model for similar organizations throughout the U.S. and overseas.

Where does the Name come from?

Dismas is the “repentant” or “good thief” crucified with Christ on Calvary and offers a testament to the power of forgiveness.

Dismas House is a nonprofit organization founded in 1974 to provide transitional housing and support services to men and women who have been recently released from prison or jail. Dismas provides a unique form of crime prevention by working with at risk individuals to integrate them with community volunteers, college students, and staff.

Dismas House recognizes that the cycle of crime can be reduced when men and women who have been incarcerated have assistance readjusting to society. To that end, Dismas House provides room and board, transportation, job referrals, life skills counseling, and drug and alcohol counseling referrals to help former offenders make a successful transition back into the community.