In the early 1980s, Don Disharoon struggled with alcohol and drugs, lost his family and his possessions, and faced a double life sentence in prison. He thought his life was over.
God disagreed, and through His grace Don accepted Jesus Christ, was water baptized, and agreed to a plea bargain resulting in a 24-year sentence.
While incarcerated at Sussex Correctional Institution in Georgetown, Delaware, Don was actively involved in Prison Fellowship (PF) programming, Bible studies, and seminars.
His electrical skills came in handy as he was often asked to fix stuff around the prison. And he became the chaplain’s assistant, eventually supervising the construction of the new prison chapel. The beautiful chapel seats 250 people and took 10 months to build.
Released after serving seven and a half years, Don was back inside that same Delaware prison six months after his release—this time not as an inmate, but as a speaker at a PF seminar.
“It was awesome walking back in and knowing the gate swung both ways for me,” remembers Don.
He remembers a 19-year-old inmate approached him and asked, “After spending all that time here, why even come back?”
“I came back because I care,” Don responded.
The young man started to cry. “Well I’m glad somebody cares.”
That moment touched Don’s heart, and he knew he’d be in prison ministry for the rest of his life.
Don has been a prison volunteer for 15 years, and has served faithfully with PF for the last five years. He is a group leader and speaks at various PF seminars on various topics. He also does one-on-one mentoring once per month, and has been mentoring one young man for over two years. He is helping this inmate prepare for his release this fall.
“I enjoy being a mentor because I’ve been where they’ve been, and I know where they’re going once they are released,” explains Don. “I can be there to help guide them through some steps they need to take and some challenges they will face.”
Don tries to help the men he mentors with basic, yet important things, like finding housing, getting a job, and becoming part of a good church.
Don is the manager at an electrical company in Georgetown, Delaware, and is now an ordained minister.
“It’s not about me,” says Don. “It’s about us all working together for one cause. It’s about building God’s Kingdom.”