Publication Date
Spring 4-5-2025
Presentation Length
15 minutes
College
Interdisciplinary Studies & Global Education
Department
Honors Program
Student Level
Undergraduate
SPARK Category
Knowledge
SPARK Session
Collaboration & Social Justice with Heather Finch
Presentation Type
Talk/Oral
Summary
Formerly incarcerated individuals simply ask to be treated like the rest of society. This is what our Honors Project group has discovered in working with Dismas House. Dismas House is a Tennessee Department of Correction residential reentry program that supports men in successfully reintegrating into society after release from incarceration. Dismas House offers three free months of educational programs, job connections, housing, and more when staying in their building on the condition that the participant utilizes the resources available to them to build a new foundation.
In our time spent with these men, we discovered that regular interactions with diverse people is highly beneficial to Dismas House residents as they readjust to society. Through our interactions, we found they just want to be treated like regular people, so we designed our project around this facet of reintegration. We decided to create a day full of fun activities called “Dismas Day Out.” The day consists of a pickleball tournament in which men and a non-Dismas House teammate pair to have fun, be active, and meet new people.
After the tournament, the group will head back to the Dismas House to enjoy a concert put on by Belmont singers and songwriters. At this event, there will be various music styles and genres to accommodate for different music tastes and a cookout-style dinner. Our hope is to foster community between Dismas House residents and Nashville, taking another step towards supporting the formerly incarcerated population in partnership with the Dismas House.
Recommended Citation
Garey, Adrienne; Coreas-Pineda, Bryan; Reed, Cianan; Camarda, Kaylee; Burney, Maya; Spivey, Lucy; Berry, Bethany; and Maturo, David, "Dismas Day Out -- Bridging the Social Gap for the Formerly Incarcerated" (2025). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 199.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/199
