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In 1983, Rita McCaffrey, for over 12 years the Coordinator of the Thresholds/Decisions prison volunteer program, and her husband, Vermont District Court Judge Francis McCaffrey visited the original Dismas House in Nashville, Tenn. Later, they visited other existing Dismas House programs in Tennessee and Ireland. Impressed by the effectiveness of these programs, and convinced of the need for a similar program in Vermont, they returned with a determination to establish a Dismas House in Burlington and later started one in Rutland. Rutland Dismas House opened its doors in September of 1990. Prisoners, Students, community volunteers, local colleges and officials in the Vermont Department of Corrections embrace the concept. It is a drug free community of, by, and for the people.
“ I was able to overcome this and begin building a
new life only because I was fortunate enough to have
gone through Dismas House, and was able to rely on the
people in the Dismas community to help get me through
some really rough spots."
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