Jack Dison
Jack Dison was born in Amarillo Texas in 1944. He went to Amarillo public schools, graduating from Tascosa High School in 1962. While growing up in Amarillo he worked at his parent’s laundry and dry cleaning business.
He went to Oklahoma City University, supported in part by a track scholarship and in part by various jobs. He graduated with a BA in philosophy. He and James’ mother married in 1965.
James was born in 1971. His sister Julie was born in 1975.
Jack completed the MA and Ph.D. degrees in sociology from the University of North Texas. He taught sociology and criminology at Oklahoma City University, University of Memphis, and Arkansas State University. While at Arkansas State University he was department chair for five years.
This book deals with part of the time that Jack was at Arkansas State University and after he took an early retirement and moved to California.
While in California Jack spent much of his time (1) pursuing further graduate studies, and (2) practicing various aspects of restorative justice. His restorative justice work included facilitating small intensive groups at San Quentin Prison and elsewhere, and facilitating victim-offender dialogues in cases of severe violence.