More Than Half Way Home: A Story of Accompaniment in the Shadows of Incarceration - by Dustin Feddon (Paperback)

About the Book

"A priest's journey from ministering death row inmates to founding a community restoring dignity to the formerly incarcerated"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Here is a gripping analysis of the brutal landscape of the criminal justice system, as well as an ode to the richly complex interior lives of people struggling to become free. Dustin Feddon, a Catholic priest, and founder of Joseph House in Florida, tells it like it is, taking the reader with him on his journey, capturing the heart-wrenching realities of those incarcerated, yet bearing witness to the transcendent love manifest among those the state calls "the worst of the worst." The juxtaposition of an unforgiving justice system and the extraordinary mercy of everyday people is a revelation. From encountering men on death row and witnessing a barbaric execution, to founding a community dedicated to restoring the dignity of formerly incarcerated persons, Father Dustin brings the reader along as he discovers his passion and purpose. Over time, he asks whether spaces could be created that would be the antithesis of confinement dorms, welcoming people called prisoners back into the human family, re-affirming their dignity. His answer, and that of the people of Joseph House, is yes, yes, and yes.

Review Quotes

"Father Feddon's compelling account of helping people recover from incarceration is a story we should all read and understand. The legal punishment system in America can be cruel and harsh, creating deep injuries and wounds that fester and worsen without an intervention rooted in compassion, mercy and love. This extraordinary book is a testament to the power of grace and kindness to heal. We should all learn from it." -- Bryan Stevenson, Senior Project Manager, Equal Justice Initiative and author of the New York Times bestselling, Just Mercy

"Father Dustin Feddon's book is at once personal and universal. His dogged search for justice, his loving service to those on death row, and deep and practical care for the who are post-incarcerated through Joseph House, his ministry, reveal a priest in process, dedicated to being a companion along the journey. This is a book of both devastating losses as well as new beginnings, of radical companionship whose stories reveal the human cost of unjust carceral systems while relaying stories of change through community, companionship, and advocacy." -- Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking and leading voice for the abolition of the death penalty

"A grace-filled account of his years walking alongside those our justice system has condemned. With clarity and compassion, he reveals the quiet humanity of men we're taught to fear, and the spiritual depth found in accompaniment. This is a rare and powerful meditation on mercy, presence, and the possibility of redemption." --Gilbert King, author of the Pulitzer prizewinning, Devil in the Grove

"This urgently needed book offers a practical frame for real change: relationships oriented around love, hope, and trust. Through his powerful first-person narrative, incredibly rich with insight, Father Dustin Feddon invites neighbors, community advocates, policymakers, and scholars alike to imagine and forge another way. . . . Feddon traces his steps from solitary confinement to the living room of The Joseph House, from prison gates on release day to the threshold of the death chamber. He invites readers to step closer and be changed in the process, for the transformation is just as pronounced for the accompanier as for the accompanied. I found this book deeply impactful, and I am certain it will be the same for you." -- Hannah Chesterton, PhD, assistant professor of criminology, The Catholic University of America

"Fr. Dustin possesses a rare kind of moral courage and depth of hope. His journey inside the soul-crushing confines of prison and nightmares of death row ironically awaken our understanding of God's mercy and the power of redemption. More Than Half Way Home offers a sacred glimpse into what restoration looks like after the ravages of trauma, dehumanization, and alienation; it can renew any world-weary heart." --Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, Executive Director, Catholic Mobilizing Network

"Even one who is not particularly religious can easily see how Father Dustin has been led by God to make a difference in the lives of those affected by incarceration. . . . Like Dorothy Day and so many others, he has come to realize that the answer to the isolation, violence, greed, distrust, and malice that we feel and have toward one another can be reversed only when we form communities like Joseph House." -- Bishop William A. Wack, CSC, Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee

About the Author

Dustin Feddon is the Founder and Executive Director of Joseph House, a home and community for men released from prison, located in Tallahassee, Florida. An ordained Catholic priest in the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, he began accompanying men on death row and in solitary confinement in 2013, while still attending seminary. His witnessing the trauma and abuse experienced in prison, and lack of assistance on release, resulted in his founding Joseph House in 2018. Fr. Dustin and Joseph House have partnered with Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), Legal Defense Fund, and other groups fighting for greater justice and mercy for those impacted by the criminal justice system.