Dismas House of Nashville

The mission of Dismas House is to improve lives and strengthen communities by providing the formerly incarcerated with holistic reentry programming that breaks the cycle of incarceration.

Dismas House has two core programs – our main Reentry Program and an Independent Living Program. Founded in 1974, Dismas House moved from an eight-bed home to a new 72-bed campus in April 2020. The new building has 56 reentry program beds and 16 independent living units.

Along with this physical expansion and an exponential increase in the numbers of men served came an intentional re-envisioning, redesign, and diversification of our program offerings with an emphasis on supporting the whole person. We offer our residents a wide array of services that are offered by Dismas House staff or through our many partnerships and collaborations with outside service and program providers.

Dismas House is an approved Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) residential reentry program in Nashville that serves men returning to the community directly from all state correctional facilities for men and county jails throughout Tennessee. The minimum length of stay to complete the Dismas House Reentry Program is 90 days and the maximum is 12 months. Our goal is to support these men as they navigate the challenging transition from prison back to the community and help them overcome the many barriers to successful reentry. We provide our residents with a uniquely warm and family-like atmosphere, in addition to a comprehensive selection of services we cluster under the umbrella of our “Four Pillars of Programming,” which are 1) basic needs, 2) health and well-being, 3) life skills, and 4) legal support