SA Correctional Facilities Committee (CFC) Update

Following are highlights of some recent CFC activities.

The Mid-Atlantic Region (MAR) hosted the CFC at their “Change of Heart” regional conference this past April. MAR is the first SA region to create a regional-level CFC in response to recent events occurring in the Pennsylvania prison system. At the conference, more than a dozen attendees committed to serve the needs of prisoners. There was also Seventh Tradition collection for the CFC of more than $700.

I was recently directed by the Pennsylvania prison system to contact an individual who will help us facilitate the delivery of Prison Starter Kits to the remaining 20 prisons in the state. This contact will also work with us to deliver White Books to each prison library.

The Prison Psychologist in Fayette (the first prison to start a meeting in response to the Pennsylvania initiative) has reported that the prison fellowship has been getting sponsors through the sponsor-by-mail program. Additionally, inmates who are exiting prison are receiving support from the CFC outbound program, which helps former inmates find temporary sponsors, meeting lists, and rides to their first meeting. The Fayette prison has also requested support from the Pittsburgh Intergroup to have SA members come into the facility to run meetings.

There has also been a lot of activity in other regions. We received requests from two Oregon Youth Sex Offender prisons for outbound services, to assist inmates who reach legal adult age and are being released. We have sent out Prison Starter Kits and are seeking additional support from the local Intergroups in the Portland area. We also received a request from Long Island, NY, for a Prison Starter Kit, for members to chair meetings in the prison, and for women sponsors-by-mail. We are working hard to meet these requests.

We are grateful to God for these many opportunities and to the fellowship for your ongoing service and financial support of the CFC.

In Love and Service,