2022 – 2023 IMPACT REPORT
Thank you for helping to make a difference in the lives of those served by Dismas Ministry!
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO
As Catholics, we are called to deepen our faith and go forth to proclaim the Gospel message. Though incarcerated men and women have strayed from God’s path, they are still members of Christ’s Body and worthy of our discipleship, love, and support.
We hope many prisoners will use their time behind bars to reassess their lives and, with God’s help, make amends for the ways that they have victimized others. As fellow Catholics, we support their spiritual rehabilitation with Catholic resources and materials.
This spiritual approach goes to the very heart of the matter – the need for God in the lives of all who have been affected by crime. In the end, the only true healing is spiritual, as God transforms suffering into victory as He did for Jesus in His death and resurrection.
“For I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” ~Matthew 25:35-41
RECIDIVISM – GETS TO THE HEART OF WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO
In 2022, nearly two million men and women were detained in the U.S. corrections system. The individuals included in this sizable segment of the population are among the most marginalized in our society. The U.S. has some of the highest recidivism rates in the world. According to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Institute of Justice, nearly 44% of prisoners released from prison are rearrested within one year; about 66% of released inmates were arrested for a new crime within three years, and 82% were arrested within 10 years. The resources that Dismas Ministry furnishes are tools or frameworks to support prisoners. Our goal is to provide them with the spiritual resources they need to reassess their lives and hopefully prevent recidivism.
THE NEED FOR OUR SERVICES CONTINUES TO GROW
Dismas Ministry has steadily expanded its outreach since its founding. In 2000, we started the Ministry with distribution to only four states; by 2013, we expanded our reach to prisoners in all 50 states. Today, we serve an average of 13,000 inmates each year in more than 1,700 facilities across the country.
We have, however, only scratched the surface of the work still to do. There are more than 6,200 correctional facilities in the United States, which include nearly two million prisoners. Roughly 15 percent of the prison population—some 300,000 individuals—identify as Catholic. In any given year, the Ministry serves a little more than 25 percent of U.S. facilities and roughly five percent of Catholic prisoners. To expand our reach and to keep pace with technological changes, we are now offering our resources to a growing number of facilities in a digital format. As of 2022, at least 14 state prison systems scan all incoming mail, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, a national research and advocacy organization focused on mass incarceration.
We recently expanded our reach to more than 373 correctional facilities in 39 states, through a partnership with Edovo, a social-impact organization that provides educational, vocational, and rehabilitative curriculums and content to incarcerated people in a digital format – at no cost to the prisoners. Through this new digital platform, our reach is expected to expand by more than 1,500 more facilities. Read more about our partnership with Edovo.
We currently offer 31 Dismas Ministry resources available on the Edovo platform. Within the first few weeks of Edovo content going live over 500 prisoners have used our free resources and we’ve reached 373 facilities.
Special Resources for Prisoners and the Community
Prison Artwork Prayer Cards
In response to numerous requests for Catholic prayer cards, we launched the “Prisoner Artwork” prayer cards series in August 2022. Prisoners served by Dismas Ministry created the beautiful and unique artwork on the card covers. They are available in English and Spanish and are very popular among prisoners. Please visit Request Resources to learn how to order your set of Prison Artwork Prayer Cards.
Since October 2023, we have distributed over 1,300 sets of prayer cards.
I Am Beautiful
In September 2022, Dismas Ministry released volume nine in the I Am Beautiful series.
This project, which began in 2010, invites imprisoned women to share writings, stories, poems, and art regarding their experiences of abuse to be considered for an annual publication entitled, I Am Beautiful. Expressing their past experiences with abuse and their road to rise above the indignity and violence at the hands of others makes this book a work of their own and allows them to help other women prisoners who struggle with the trauma of abuse.
We hope everyone who reads this book will be encouraged to stand up and count themselves worthy of dignity and recognize their inner and outer beauty. After each new volume is published, we send free copies to each woman who contributed to the publication, and two copies for libraries at women’s prisons across the United States.
You can download a FREE sample of I Am Beautiful, Volume 9 on our website.
If you wish to order your full copy of I Am Beautiful, Volume 9, visit our website store.
A Way of the Cross – A FREE downloadable Prayer Guide
In February 2021, Dismas Ministry created a new resource for women prisoners to help enrich their spiritual journeys. Elizabeth Harmatys Park, PhD, prisoner minister and mentor for 25 years, wrote A Way of the Cross – for Women in Prison, for Women Confined and Caged. This resource, a sturdy, 8-1/2 x 11 trifold, can be ordered through our website at https://dismasministry.org/product/wayofthecross.
It is also available as a FREE download at dismasministry.org/wayofthecross.
More than 75 copies of the WOTC have been downloaded from our website since we first offered it as a free resource.
Forgotten Work of Mercy – A FREE downloadable Training Resource
Dismas Ministry receives calls and emails from people throughout the country who want to get involved in prison ministry. In addition to serving prisoners, we provide training resources to the chaplains and volunteers who minister to them, such as the new The Forgotten Work of Mercy: Finding Jesus in the Imprisoned. This resource is designed to raise awareness of and inspire interest in this much-needed ministry of the Church.
The printed hard copy of The Forgotten Work of Mercy: Finding Jesus in the Imprisoned includes a DVD and bound companion workbook. It is also available as a free digital download from our website at https://dismasministry.org/fwom. More than 200 copies of the FWOM have been downloaded from our website since its inception. This resource is made possible through a generous grant from the ATCA foundation.
Dismas Ministry Programs
Young Adult Prison Ministry Ambassador Program (YAPMAP)
In June 2021, once again, the ACTA Foundation provided a grant in support of, Dismas Ministry’s Ambassador Program. It engaged college-age students as ambassadors of Dismas Ministry.
The students were directly involved with carrying out several Dismas Ministry programs and services. They gave tours, organized “meet and greet” events on campus, and developed presentations for Board meetings and other events. They managed Dismas Ministry’s study course program for inmates, monitored resource inventory, collected data for service metrics, and oversaw requests from inmates and their families, prison chaplains, and prison ministry volunteers for Catholic faith materials.
The Ambassador Program was suspended due to the closing of Cardinal Stritch University, but we hope to revive it in the future.
Camillia Washington, Dismas Ministry Ambassador
Camillia Washington wrote, “Serving as an ambassador really opened my eyes to the faith-based perspective of restorative justice.”
Anerelis Mitchell
“Dismas Ministry serves imprisoned individuals who are hungry to learn more about the Word of God. We are called to support those who are poor and marginalized. This is our responsibility,” said Anerelis Mitchell.
Prison Art Gallery
Over the years, Dismas Ministry has acquired a large collection of inmate artwork sent to us on ripped sheets of paper, the backs of envelopes, and sometimes on the back of their correspondence review tests.
We have collected, framed, and hung this artwork in our offices. We have also used it on our website, in marketing and promotional pieces, and in our many resources. The inmate’s artwork is always a highlight of the informational tours we provide. A video presentation of this lovely art gallery can be found on our website.
On The Horizon
Messengers of Hope Video Training
In 2024, we will be offering a video presentation of our Messengers of Hope training resource. Anyone interested in working with the incarcerated can download the presentation for free through our website when the course becomes available.
Watch your email and our social media for the announcment of availability.
AS WE MOVE FORWARD
Dismas Ministry, as with many small non-profit organizations, faces a unique set of challenges.
Staffing
Today’s world is rapidly changing. Amidst the ever-evolving societal landscape, economic uncertainty, shifting donor priorities, and emerging technical trends, Dismas Ministry must grapple with limited resources while striving to keep our mission front and center. DM must carry out this juggling act with a very small but dedicated staff. Our current staff consists of one full-time employee (Executive Director, Tyler Curtis) and two part-time contracted employees – that’s it!
Volunteers
Fortunately, Dismas Ministry also has a corps of dedicated volunteers who help fulfill orders, correct course tests, manage inventory, and assist with general office duties.
Just as recruiting staff is a real challenge, so is attracting and retaining qualified volunteers. Though our team of volunteers has fluctuated over the years, we have been blessed by a number of dedicated long-term volunteers who help our organization flourish.
Since spring 2021, we rely on the Milwaukee chapter of the Order of Malta (some volunteers pictured below) to help fulfill orders from prisoners. And, in fall 2022, we expanded our network by connecting with the Ignatian Volunteer Corps® (IVC) (pictured below) to maintain our library of publications, inventory management, and help package requests from our Prison Ministry Network.
In addition to the individuals listed above, we are blessed with others who work remotely coordinating the Dismas Ministry correspondence course program. Thank you to Deacon Roberto Fuentes (based in Racine, WI), as well as members of these two parishes: St. Margaret Mary Parish (Milwaukee, WI) and St. William Parish (Waukesha, WI).
We are grateful to all our volunteers, some of whom have been part of our team for nearly 20 years!
Susan Federman is a volunteer from the Ignatian Volunteer Corps® Additional IVC volunteers (not pictured) include David Bardon and Kelly O’Keefe-Boettcher.
Volunteers from St. William Parish in Waukesha are Ruth Anne White, Anne Radomski, Linda Dudzek, and Jackie Meyer (pictured separately).
Deacon Roberto Fuentes helps with letters and correspondence courses for Spanish-speaking prisoners.
Dan McCarthy coordinates the Order of Malta volunteers, who serve Dismas Ministry once a month. The volunteers include, from left: Steve DeGuire, KM, Mary Cesarz, Mike Cesarz, KM, Dan McCarthy, KM, and Hon. Beth Hanan, DM.
Karen Valente, Mary Blinkhorn, and Sue Giza are volunteers from St. Margart Mary Parish. Tomy Dompke (not pictured) is the newest member of their team
Post-Pandemic
While the COVID-19 pandemic abated, its effects lingered throughout FY2023. Supply chain issues in fall 2022 delayed DM fulfilling orders for rosaries and other items. In addition, with more jails/prisons relaxing pandemic-related restrictions, DM experienced an unexpected surge in the demand for Bibles, and we surpassed our budgeted amount in March 2023. Fortunately, an appeal to our supporters for help in meeting this demand exceeded our expectations, and we were able to fulfill every request!
Technology
Compounding our difficulties, many jails and prisons are eliminating access to print publications. For Dismas Ministry to continue delivering our resources to a growing number of inmates, we must navigate and adapt to new technologies and communication platforms. As mentioned earlier, we are now offering our resources to a growing number of facilities in a digital format.
Dismas Ministry Headquarters
In spring 2023, we announced the difficult news that Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was closing its doors – after 86 years – following the spring commencement. The Dismas Ministry operations had been part of the Stritch campus since 2019. Our organization’s operations have continued onsite, while the search began for our next new home for the Ministry.
Our quest to find new workspaces best suited for our needs was blessed with a special opportunity. Gus Ramirez and the Ramirez Family Foundation purchased the former Cardinal Stritch University campus in July 2023. And, Dismas Ministry was invited to remain as part of the onsite community that is under development.
The newly acquired north shore location will become the home of a second St. Augustine Preparatory Academy – a private, Christian school for students in K4-12th grades. The school’s flagship campus, located on Milwaukee’s south side, opened in 2017. Known as “Aug Prep” in the community, they will begin welcoming students to the former Stritch campus in 2025.
We, at Dismas Ministry, are grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the team at Aug Prep. Our doors are open to partner with them and others, both near and far, who are committed to supporting our Christian faith-based missions.
To learn more about Aug Prep, please visit www.augprep.org.
Donor Relations
We are grateful to both long-term and new donors who are inspired by and support our mission. We have grown a solid donor base since the organization’s inception.
Dismas Ministry’s primary goal is to serve the imprisoned. We are determined to grow our outreach to those who seek a deeper connection with God and the Catholic Church. The resources we provide are tools for their spiritual journey.
Our mission would cease to exist without the prayerful and financial support of many individuals and faith-based and grantmaking organizations from across the country.
Thank you, friends, for your partnership with Dismas Ministry and your kinship with our brothers and sisters behind bars.
2022 – 2023 Total Donations Received
Did you know Dismas Ministry has a monthly giving club?
Monthly donations are a vital resource supporting the spiritual lives of inmates. They form a revenue stream we know we can count on, which allows us to plan our year with confidence.
We established Mercy Circle in 2019. Since then, 92 people have enrolled in this monthly giving club. Over the last four years, our Mercy Circle givers have donated over $126,000!
The decision to entrust regular gifts to Dismas Ministry strengthens our efforts to provide for the spiritual needs of our brothers and sisters behind bars. These recurring gifts help sustain our monthly fulfillment of the mission, and bring peace of mind to staff and volunteers engaged in this important work.
Thanks to all members of Mercy Circle for making the commitment to support the ministry in this way. We welcome others to consider joining our monthly giving club for a convenient way to support Dismas Ministry throughout the year. To learn more about becoming a monthly donor visit our Mercy Circle page.
PLEASE HELP US SHARE OUR MISSION!
Not everyone has the means to help financially, so another way to help Dismas Ministry this holiday season is by sharing our information with anyone you feel might benefit from learning about our services. Or, you can help by simply keeping us in your prayers by joining our Union of Prayer.
SHARE
Be a beacon for those in despair.
PRAY
To provide hope and healing.
We rely on prayer. Without the prayerful support of others, our spiritual outreach to prisoners will not be successful, for nothing is accomplished without prayer and our connection with God. We invite you to join our Union of Prayer, a simple prayer association where you pray regularly for our ministry, the work that we do, and those we serve.
Click here to join the Union of Prayer.
GIVE
Let them know they are NOT FORGOTTEN!
For none of the work we do would be possible without the financial support of individuals like you!
A contribution of any amount will help us carry out our work and touch the hearts of all prisoners who need our kindness and compassion.
Please know that we truly appreciate whatever you can do, whether spiritually, financially, or both. It helps prisoners know they are not forgotten.
Thank you for your support.
“I was in prison and you visited Me.” ~ Matthew 25:36.