Helping Members Prepare for Prison

Do you know an SA member who is likely to be incarcerated soon? Would you like to help that member prepare for the experience? The CFC offers support to incarcerated members in a variety of ways, including sending complimentary SA Literature as requested, offering a Sponsor-by-Mail program, helping members start meetings in prison, and providing parolees with SA contacts.

Our experience suggests the members benefit from working the Twelve Steps with a sponsor before entering prison—even if the time is limited. Those who have finished working their Steps with a sponsor seem to better experience the happy, joyous and free way of life while in prison. With the foundation of the Steps, incarcerated members have stayed sober, started meetings, and sponsored fellow SAs.

This first journey through the Steps might seem like a sprint to the sponsee. The sponsee may feel rushed or afraid of not working the Steps “perfectly” and perhaps missing some of the wreckage. However, the sooner the member gets through the Steps, the greater his or her chances of continued recovery and spiritual growth. Any wreckage missed in the first working of the Steps will be found in future Step work.

These suggestions really hold true for any addict. Personally, each time I formally work through the Steps, new insights and new connections come to me. The member destined for prison just has a more concrete timeline than the average member. Assisting prisoners in this way is just another example of how we can “practice these principles in all our affairs.”

For more information, please contact me at saico@sa.org.