DISMAS Ministry

The DISMAS Ministry is named after the repentant thief at Jesus’ crucifixion.  It’s letters also are an acronym for what the ministry hopes to do for inmates at the Cheshire House of Corrections – Discover Inner Strength, Maturity And Support.  We have two objectives:

• Increase our Catholic presence in the House of Corrections.
• Provide assistance to inmates after they have been released.

PHILOSOPHY

We offer a program of spiritual assistance and guidance that will enable inmates to find and build a personal relationship with God; encourage a sense of self-worth grounded in right moral conduct and human dignity; and orient them to the realities of life toward community integration.

GOALS

• To help the inmate(s) develop a personal prayer life
• To affirm them as children of God
• To encourage participation in ALL House of Correction programs, for both personal and spiritual benefit
• To provide the needed support for an inmate to receive his/her GED
• To assist the discharged inmate in reintegration into the community via networking information for housing, employment, transportation and support services.

What can a DISMAS volunteer do?

• Go through the orientation and training required for DISMAS Ministry volunteering
• Offer computer assistance with already established programs provided by the House of Corrections
• Become a GED tutor or a GED test administrator
• Visit with an inmate periodically OR correspond with an inmate 
• Assist inmates in procuring jobs, housing and/or transportation BEFORE they are discharged from the House of Corrections
• Provide those who have completed their sentence with spiritual already established in the community
• Become one of the presenters of the 12-week program “Truth, Freedom, and the Moral Life”.

For more information contact:

Deacon Arnold Gustafson, Coordinator – 352-3525, ext. 30
Ginny Rouleau, Community Contact - 352-1464