‘Every day since I walked in here, I’ve been accepted.’
By Tom Ayres , Senior Staff Writer
When the Hartford Dismas House, the transitional residence program for former prisoners, marks its 10th anniversary on Saturday, Sept. 7, there will be a great deal to celebrate.
Since its founding as part of the five-location Dismas House of Vermont network in 2015, the Hartford halfway program has served nearly 190 men transitioning out of the corrections system. Of those former inmates aided, 91% have been Vermonters and 61% have hailed from Windsor County. Sixty-three percent were high school graduates when they arrived at the Elm Street transitional housing setting in White River Junction, 57% were parents to minors, and most carried stories of complex life trauma, with two-thirds in recovery from substance abuse.
The Hartford Dismas House, located on Elm Street in White River Junction, is marking its 10th anniversary with a Benefit Birthday Party on Saturday, Sept. 7. Courtesy of Hartford Dismas House
Hartford Dismas House Director Tom Grillo, who has worked with formerly incarcerated men at the White River Junction setting for the past two years, paused from a busy day on Monday to talk about the vital role of the transitional housing program in helping to “reconcile former prisoners with society and society with former prisoners,” as the Dismas House of Vermont mission states. Longtime Dismas House volunteer and Council of Advisors member Jim Marmar of Quechee, the erstwhile lead pharmacist of the former Woodstock Pharmacy, and current Dismas House resident Adam Adolph of Thetford also spoke with the Standard about their experiences with the transitional housing program, which has provided nearly 30,000 nights of housing and achieved an 84% employment rate for residents over the past decade.
“Every one that comes through us comes through the Hartford-based probation and parole system. They’re usually coming out of the state prison in Springfield, the one all the way up in Newport and every once in a while from the St. Johnsbury correctional facility,” Grillo offered in a phone conversation. “Most of them are Upper Valley residents or have been residents of the area in the past,” he continued. “Sometimes, whatever crime they committed may have been far away from home, but the majority of our people have connections to the area. Occasionally we’ll take in someone from far away because they specifically request to get away from their previous environment, where they might run into old friends and acquaintances, end up doing the same things and getting back in prison.”
The process of becoming a Dismas House resident begins with a case worker in prison, who works with the incarcerated person to complete an application for admission. The application is first vetted by probation and parole personnel in Hartford and then passed on to Grillo for his review. “If I feel the person is going to be a good fit, not only for the Hartford Dismas House, but for the community as well, I’ll circle back to the case worker and schedule an interview with the potential resident. It’s not uncommon when I bring in a new resident that some of the other residents know that person. I’m trying to keep a good group of men in the house that are going to get along with each other.”
Dismas House, which also has men’s facilities in Burlington, Winooski, and Rutland and a women’s transitional housing program, also in Rutland, places strong emphasis on employment and proactive, positive social programming for residents. Pro-social programs offer residents opportunities to learn skills, cultivate outlets, and create sober social circles within the house and the community – all skills that are critical as residents transition back into society. While each resident’s stay at the Hartford house, which can last up to two years, is different, there is a commonality to the daily routine that Grillo detailed. “For the guys that have a job, they’re going through a normal routine where they get up and go to work each day. The one big thing that’s on their schedule is a community dinner that we serve Monday through Friday from 6 to 7 p.m., where volunteers come in and either bring food with them potluck-style or prepare meals in our kitchen. The residents have to be here for dinner each weeknight and then on the weekends they’re on their own for dinner,” Grillo noted.
The volunteer experience
Volunteers have given more than 10,700 hours of service to the Hartford Dismas House since the transitional housing program opened its doors 10 years ago. Former Woodstock Pharmacy pharmacist Jim Marmar is an exemplary Dismas House volunteer. He joined the organization and its Council of Advisors shortly after the Hartford house opened in 2015, seeking to give back to the community and honor the memory of his late son Zachary, who died at 26 in 2009 after years of struggling with heroin addiction. Marmar and his wife Sandy have been stalwart volunteers with the Hartford program for a decade.
“My son had some interactions with law enforcement and the courts and I saw the compassion that was present in the courts. They’re not only punitive, but there’s a lot of compassion there as well. Somewhere along the line, I heard the word Dismas and started making donations to them — and then Dismas House of Vermont founder Rita McCaffrey reached out to me shortly after the Hartford Dismas House opened and I’ve been involved ever since.
“Having gone through the hardships with our son, I knew that there are people who, no matter how dark their world gets, they can come back full circle to reach their potential,” Marmar said, speaking eloquently and emotionally as to why he and Sandy are so committed to Dismas House. Marmar went on to talk about how difficult it can be at times to persuade others to get involved with the transitional housing effort as either a donor or volunteer.
“My comment has always been that prisoners coming out of jail are not like those ASPCA puppies you see on television, where they’re being vandalized and terrorized, or the needy babies that you see on TV. It’s a hard sell to understand that human beings just have a short period of life on this planet and sometimes people need some extra help just to regain that life,” Marmar offered. He touts the nightly community dinners that volunteers proffer at the Hartland Dismas House as a particularly revealing and rewarding event for community members.
“That family-style, sit-down dinner is one of the signature things about Dismas House,” Marmar offered. Most of the people in the program have never really had sit-down family dinners in their lives. It is mind-blowing for them that people actually sit down, have a meal, break bread, and talk about their days and lives. They do a round and the first thing they are asked is, ‘What are you thankful for today?’”
For the past several years, Jim and Sandy Marmar, who are Jewish, have especially been moved by the opportunity to serve Christmas dinner at the Hartford house. “We’ve wanted everybody on the staff to have the day off, so for the past six or seven years, my wife and I and another board member have prepared and served the Christmas meal.
“The sharing and empathy and compassion – whatever word it is you want to use — it’s just a big part of the Dismas House experience,” Marmar concluded.
The resident experience
Adam Adolph, 33, from Thetford, has been a resident at the Hartford Dismas House for the past two months.
“Back in 2022, I got arrested on a kidnapping and robbery charge and possession of heroin at the Lebanon Airport. I had 3,000 bags of heroin. I ended up going on trial and I beat the kidnapping and robbery charges, but ended up doing time in New Hampshire for the possession charge. I ended up getting 24 months with three-and-a-half to seven suspended for 15 years,” Adolph said candidly. “I came here from New Hampshire at the end of that 24 months and also spent time in the Southern Vermont Correctional Facility in Springfield.” The former inmate’s commitment to and respect for the Dismas House is palpable.
Adam Adolph of Thetford has been a resident of the Hartford Dismas House for two months. He credits the staff with helping him seek meaningful employment, maintain his sobriety, and with helping him reconnect with his daughters.
Courtesy of Hartford Dismas House
“Every day since I walked in here, I’ve been accepted. The staff has been phenomenal. Between Gail and Tom and Wendy — they’ve been an amazing help to all of us. They’re helping me get back to where I need to be, getting back to the community and to work and things like that. They’re always there for us if we’re having problems. They go out of their way to help us.”
For now, Adolph is spending his days at the Hartford house looking for work, either in automotive repair or in the custodial and maintenance world. In the meantime, he has been a constant presence around the house, taking care of the yard, undertaking numerous painting projects, and enjoying fishing and summertime swims with the other residents. “I’m grateful to everyone — my fellow residents and the staff — for helping me make this transition. I’ve been working on myself and my sobriety.”
Adolph said he is most grateful for the opportunity living at Dismas House has given him to reconnect with his two daughters — Addison, 6, and Avery, 4. “That’s really been the biggest thing for me,” he said, the emotion notable in his voice. “I mean, because of these folks here at the house, I’ve been able to reconnect with my daughters — I see them at least twice a week. And back when I was in prison, I wasn’t able to see them at all. Without this place, I probably still wouldn’t be able to see them, so I am absolutely grateful for everything they have done for me so far.”