What correctional professionals would like to know about AA

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of people whose primary purpose is to remain sober and to help other alcoholics recover. The desire to stop drinking is the only requirement for becoming a member of AA. The work of AA is done voluntarily by AA members.

In AA, there is no central authority and the association is virtually unorganized. There is a General Service Office in New York (which primarily serves as a central office for the international dissemination of AA information), as well as local offices and intergroups.

Correctional professionals, AA members, and those interested in starting an AA group for incarcerated individuals will receive assistance from the Office of General Services. The Office of General Services will provide them with the brochure "AA in Correctional Facilities," a manual on conducting a group, and other publications.

Several local AA service committees will provide informal presentations for your institution upon request. Sessions can be tailored to your needs. A typical agenda might include one or more films produced by AA and a presentation by one or more AA members on the topic: "What AA is and what it is not.".

Look up the Alcoholics Anonymous phone number in your local phone book, in the newspaper, or contact us online at www.aa.org.

AA wants to work with you

From the beginning and still today, AA's goal has been to work with the professional community. We are always looking to strengthen and further develop our communications with you, and your comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. They will help us work more effectively with you to achieve our common goal: helping the alcoholic who is still suffering.

AA in correctional facilities

AA groups can be found in some 1,522 correctional facilities in the United States and Canada. Each group operates under an agreement between the administrators of the facility in question—penitentiary, work camp, or prison—and the surrounding AA groups.

A common question is why people in prison need Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) while incarcerated. The answer is that the AA program offers much more than just abstinence from alcohol. AA is a way of life, and its success among groups that hold meetings while incarcerated demonstrates that this program can help incarcerated alcoholics lead a sober and happy life, both during their incarceration and after their release.

Several people in custody have been convicted of crimes in which alcohol played a significant role. This proportion appears to be higher among those detained in youth detention facilities. Correctional professionals have identified several benefits for those who attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and they believe that a person in custody increases their chances of success after release if they participate in the Alcoholics Anonymous program.

Groups for people in detention

The correctional center's administration sets the operating rules for each group within the correctional facility. These rules must not be violated by visitors or internal participants. Because regulations can and do vary, AA members should familiarize themselves with the specific rules and regulations of each facility they visit. Good communication between correctional center administrators and local AA committees is essential for this purpose.

Generally, local AA members sponsor correctional groups and work in conjunction with staff appointed by the facility directors, as well as with the inmates responsible for the AA group. Once a group within a correctional facility begins operating, it is very similar to all other AA groups. Aside from pre-arranged visits from the group sponsor or outside AA speakers, the "outside world" does not need to interfere in an AA group within the facility.

Releases and parole

Experience has shown that alcoholics who attended AA meetings in prison and return to AA soon after their release are very likely to remain sober—and free. However, those who postpone returning to AA until they have "settled their affairs" may never return.

AA can minimize this risk. Before an incarcerated AA member is released, there is usually enough time to establish contact with AA in the locality or city where they will live. The inmate sponsor, as well as external AA contacts, can almost always ensure that the released prisoner receives a warm welcome, being received like any other AA member, not as a former inmate.

What AA members DON'T do

The AA Movement: does not provide the initial motivation for alcoholics to recover; does not solicit members; does not undertake or sponsor research; does not keep attendance records or personal case files; does not participate in "Councils" or social organizations; does not exercise supervision or control over its members; does not make medical or psychological diagnoses or prognoses; does not provide detoxification, rehabilitation, or nursing services, hospitalization, medication, or medical or psychiatric treatment; does not offer religious services or organize or sponsor retreats; does not organize alcohol information campaigns; does not provide lodging, food, clothing, employment, money, or any other social service; does not provide family or career guidance services; does not accept money for its services or contributions from sources outside AA; does not provide letters of reference to parole boards, lawyers, court representatives, social agencies, employers, and others.

The uniqueness of the goal and problems other than alcohol

Some professionals define alcoholism and drug addiction as 'substance abuse' or 'chemical dependence'. As a result, non-alcoholics are sometimes referred to AA and encouraged to attend AA meetings. Anyone can attend open AA meetings, but only those with a drinking problem can attend closed meetings.

Reading recommendations about AA

Many professionals have found the following AA World Services, Inc. publications helpful in their work with alcoholics. To obtain copies, please contact the AA General Service Office or your local AA office.

PUBLICATIONS APPROVED BY THE CONFERENCE:

• HERE ARE THE AA
• Frequently Asked Questions about AA
• ARE AA FOR YOU?
• BEHIND THE WALLS: A MESSAGE OF HOPE
• IT'S BETTER THAN WAITING AROUND IN PRISON (an illustrated brochure for people in detention)
• YOUNG PEOPLE AND AA
• AA FOR WOMEN
• LGBTQ alcoholics from AA
• AA FOR BLACK AND AFRICAN AMERICAN ALCOHOLIC
• AA FOR THE OLDER ALCOHOLIC – IT'S NEVER TOO LATE
• ACCESS TO AA: MEMBERS TELL HOW THEY OVERCOME OBSTACLES
• AA FOR ALCOHOLIC RELATIVES WITH MENTAL ILLNESS
• THE WORD "GOD": AGNOSTIC AND ATHEIST MEMBERS IN AA
• The AA Member's Perspective on Medications and Other Drugs
• DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DIFFERENT?
• QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT SPONSORSHIP
• IS THERE AN ALCOHOLIC IN YOUR LIFE?
• ARE YOU PROFESSIONALLY INVOLVED IN DEAL WITH ALCOHOLISM?
• HOW AA MEMBERS COLLABORATE
• AA IN YOUR SOCIETY
• A MEMBER'S VIEW ON AA
• THE MEANING OF ANONYMITY
• AA: A RESOURCE FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
• DIFFERENT PATHS TO SPIRITUALITY

PUBLICATIONS APPROVED BY THE CONFERENCE:

• Information about AA (a bulletin to help professionals)
• AA GRAPEVINE (the international monthly magazine of AA)
• LA VIÑA (bi-monthly, in Spanish)

This is an approved publication
by the General Services Conference
Copyright © 2018 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
PO Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163
All rights reserved.
www.aa.org

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