Our Founder

Society of St. Dismas was founded by Frank Costantino, an ex-felon who was released in January of 1972 from the Florida Department of Corrections. Frank Costantino was sentenced to a 22 ½ year prison term for burglary and other related crimes. He accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of his life two years before he was paroled. “And it changed my life completely.”

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Upon leaving prison, Frank had a calling and an urge to return and share with other prisoners his testimony of God’s transforming love. The chaplain at Raeford Prison, Rev. Max Jones, asked if he would be willing to return to the prison and talk to the prisoners. After careful consideration Frank agreed.

Frank observed men repeating the cycle of the revolving door time after time. He realized that releasing an inmate with $100 and a suit of clothes did little or nothing to change the course of the man’s life. He said that people are incarcerated for making bad choices and the penal system was not addressing that fundamental issue. The average person in society makes about 200 decisions a day and when they are arrested most of their decisions are made for them, such as when to eat, sleep or shower. But when they are released they are once again expected to make about 200 decisions and now they can’t be bad ones. So, in 1976, Frank founded “Christian Prison Ministries” as a way to be part of the solution. This gave him and others an opportunity to share the Gospel with other prisoners and to this end the theme, “Believe a Man Can Change,” was created.