Rediscovering Life: Mark’s Path to Freedom and Healing

March 13, 2025

“It’s a vicious cycle, but I think I’ve broken it with the help of Dismas House. Dismas House means freedom.”

Mark, a 64-year-old resident, exemplifies the profound transformation that can occur through the resources available at Dismas House. His journey—marked by a history of substance use, encounters with the law, and a cancer diagnosis—has evolved into one of healing and giving back. Mark’s story underscores the profound impact that support and community can have on reshaping a life and creating new possibilities.

Early Years

Mark had a tumultuous upbringing and learned at a young age to use alcohol as a coping mechanism. At 26, Mark met his future wife at church in Florida in 1987, entering what would become the longest period of sobriety in his life. He remembers the early years of marriage and fatherhood as a time of hope and excitement. “When I was with my wife, that was the happiest I’ve ever been,” he recalls.

When Mark’s sobriety ended, his life unraveled. “I lost my family – my wife and son – because of my alcoholism. After that, I didn’t care. I didn’t have anything to live for,” he admits. Drinking led to other substances, then to theft and evading law enforcement, trapping him in a cycle of addiction and incarceration. Though he cycled through reentry programs after each release, he wasn’t ready to change. “Those places may help some people, but they didn’t help me. They didn’t have a structure, and I wasn’t ready for it.”

Facing Illness During Incarceration

Before his last incarceration in 2018, Mark began experiencing symptoms of what he would soon learn was Stage IV Liver Cirrhosis and multiple forms of cancer. “I was so sick, but I didn’t know what was wrong. I had no insurance, so I couldn’t get help. It wasn’t until I was locked up that I found out I had cancer.” The months to follow were some of the most challenging of his life as he battled the disease behind bars. “I got so sick that I told God, ‘If you let me live, take the desire from drugs and alcohol away from me.’ Sometimes you get what you ask for. The last drink I had made me so sick it nearly killed me.”

Oftentimes major medical needs are overlooked within the prison system. Though he received basic medical care while incarcerated, Mark was still gravely ill by the time he arrived at Dismas House in 2024. Due to his condition, several reentry programs denied him admission, as they were not equipped to meet his medical needs. Emotionally, Mark acknowledges that without Dismas House accepting him and providing the critical care and resources he desperately needed, he might not be alive today.

The Vital Resources That Made a Difference

Dismas House provided Mark access to life-saving medical treatment through a vital partnership with Vanderbilt’s Shade Tree Clinic, a student-run clinic providing free, high-quality care to uninsured and underinsured individuals in Nashville. “Dismas House has an intensive screening process, and you have to be chosen to be here. Luckily, they accepted me, even with my health issues. They reached out to Vanderbilt, and they said they wanted me. Shade Tree has taken care of all my medical needs—they’ve probably footed a bill of half a million dollars since I’ve been out.”

Beyond medical care, Mark credits the structured 90-day reentry program as a key factor in his recovery. “The biggest thing I’ve gained here is structure. A lot of people want to hit the ground running, but Dismas House kept me from doing that. People don’t realize how important that is. Looking back, I see that’s what truly helped me. Every need—transportation, medical, mental, dental, career, physical—is met if you’re willing to follow the structured program. The first few months are tough, but you have to be ready, and I was ready.”

Without these resources, he notes, Dismas House would be just another reentry program. “The recidivism rate for people who complete this program is around two percent. If people really want to see crime reduced and lives rebuilt, they should support Dismas House.” As Mark highlights, Dismas House boasts a 2.5% recidivism rate compared to Tennessee’s 29.6% average—reinforcing its vision to set the national standard for reentry success.

Hope for the Future

For the first time in years, Mark has found a place where he feels seen, valued, and cared for—leading to remarkable progress in his recovery. “When you get out, you’ve got all these worries on your shoulders—I didn’t know what to do. Dismas House has helped me every step of the way. I’ve never been more comfortable or had this much peace of mind in my life.”

With newfound clarity, Mark is looking ahead. He recently graduated from Dismas House’s reentry program and has applied for a single-occupancy unit on our independent living floor. He is now receiving retirement, which, along with a supplemental part-time job, allows him to sustain himself and save for his dream of owning “a little house and a little dog.”

As he reflects on his journey, Mark is determined to give back. “I want to be known as a kind, helpful member of society. For so long, all I did was take—I’d like to spend the rest of my life giving.”