TWELFTH STEP WORK IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES -- EVER A VITAL NEED 


The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous promises that our imaginations will 
be fired, and that is exactly what I have experienced as a result of 
carrying the A.A. message into correctional facilities. In the early 
1990s, a group of sober women from Area 36 met with the facilitator of 
Shakopee Women’s Prison to discuss bringing meetings into their facility. 
During our orientation we were instructed to review some materials prior 
to attending the first meeting. Included in our packets was the prison’s 
newsletter, which included submissions from the inmates. My heart caught 
in my throat when I read a woman’s poem describing the bridges to people, 
places and things that drinking had burned behind her, and the hopelessness 
of being alone in prison. Since that time I’ve felt an increased sense of 
responsibility to make sure that the hand of A.A. is there in correctional 
facilities when anyone reaches out for help.

A.A.’s message in penal institutions reaches back to the early beginnings 
of our Fellowship. The late Clinton Duffy first allowed Alcoholics Anonymous 
behind the walls of San Quentin Prison. Warden Duffy believed that no amount 
of training, education or rehabilitation could help an inmate if his 
alcoholism was ignored. Currently, there are A.A. groups in over 2,500 
correctional facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Today we are seeing more opportunities than ever to carry the message behind 
the walls. According to the State of Minnesota Department of Corrections, 
approximately 70% of men and 80% of women incarcerated are alcoholic. 
Officials believe that more than 50% of the sentences served in correctional 
facilities are directly related to alcohol. Effective September 1, 2001, the 
State of Minnesota will be mandated to provide treatment to all offenders 
determined to be alcoholic. This emerging nationwide trend will create a host 
of opportunities for correctional and treatment facilities committees to 
coordinate efforts in cooperating with penal institutions. As you can see, 
A.A. has no shortage of prospects residing behind the walls. 

Unfortunately, we find many more A.A. members involved in the work of 
treatment facilities than correctional facilities. As a result of increased 
public awareness, many of our members achieve sobriety before any involvement 
with the judicial system. Some of us ask, “What could I possibly have to share 
with someone serving a life sentence”? Other members have concerns regarding 
the possible hazards lurking penal institutions. It’s important to remember 
that inmates with behavioral issues are not allowed to attend A.A. meetings. 
Over the years the only incident I’ve heard about involved someone slipping 
in a parking lot, which could happen anywhere. While the consequences of our 
drinking may not be the same, members can share the way out of alcoholic 
despair we found in A.A.’s program of recovery. 

In addition to attending meetings, there are many other ways members can 
12th-Step the still suffering incarcerated alcoholic. Utilizing the Pink 
Can Plan, our combined pocket change can be used to carry the message. 
From 1999-2000, Area 36 distributed 20,118 pieces of A.A. literature to 
prospects incarcerated in 22 different correctional facilities. G.S.O.’s 
Corrections Correspondence Service has a waiting list of male inmates 
seeking members willing to sponsor by mail. Last but not least, becoming 
a temporary sponsor can help bridge the gap between an inmate leaving prison 
and the doors of Alcoholics Anonymous. 

As we return home and share the experience of this West Central Regional 
Forum, let’s talk about the Fellowship’s efforts to carry the message 
into correctional facilities. When sponsoring new people into service 
let’s considering the increasing demand for 12th-Step volunteers to 
carry A.A.’s message behind the walls. Our co-founder, Bill Wilson, said, 
“And above all, let us remember that great legion who still suffer from 
alcoholism and who are still without hope. Let us, at any cost or sacrifice, 
so improve our communication with all these that they may find what we have 
found – a new life of freedom under God.