Hi, my name is Gary G., and I’m a gratefully recovering sexaholic from Cleveland, OH. With the help of God and this Fellowship, I’ve been sexually sober since April 1993. I have been attending SA meetings regularly since November 1991. In early 1994, I joined with a group of SA members from northeast Ohio, who were attending SA meetings within two prisons near Cleveland. In February 1995, I joined the Corrections Committee (SACC), which has been meeting monthly since November 1994. Marsha F. took over the Chair from Bernie M. (Portland, OR) in July 1994. Marsha’s article in the September 1994 issue of the Essay introduced the committee and how it functions.

The purpose of the SACC is to carry the message of recovery to sexaholics who are suffering from their lust addiction while inside prison. The group conscience of the committee helps us stay within the guidelines of our Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions in carrying out our mission. SACC members must have at least six months sobriety and the chairperson must have at least two years. The chairperson’s term of office is three years.

The main function of the SACC is to respond to letters written to the SA Central Office by prison inmates. This job is facilitated with the help of 11 local area contacts throughout the country. Our current contacts are: Paul S. (San Diego, CA), Wayne C. (Lancaster, CA), John B. (Monterey, CA), Leonard D. (Baltimore, MD), Michael B. (Wichita, KS), John N. (Rochester, NY), Tim T. (Akron, OH), Bernie M. (Portland, OR), and Byron W. (Pittsburgh, PA). Until very recently, we also had the help of Bert D. (Daytona, FL), who had to resign for personal reasons. All of these contact people have been very helpful and we are grateful for their willingness to serve.

Marsha F. has compiled a computer list of 119 inmates who have inquired about SA. Of these, 86 inquiries have been received since July 1994. All of these requests have been answered with letters or information packets. Twenty-one inmates have access to SA meetings within their prisons. Twenty-nine inmates have agreed to have their names appear on a mailing list so that SA members on the “inside” can communicate with each other. Recently, this list has been made available to SA members on the “outside” who wish to write to sexaholics in prison. We are also planning to contact the thirty-two inmates from the original list to see if they are still interested in SA.

This past Christmas, we sent Christmas cards, signed by all the members of the Friday night Cleveland SA meeting, to thirty-five SA members inside prison. We received twenty responses thanking us for our kindness and Christmas spirit.

Another recent activity of the SACC is the revision of the information packets for inmates. They contain an SA brochure, the Sobriety Definition, the SA Literature List, SA Institutional Meeting notes, three articles from the Essay (Marsha F.’s Corrections Committee News article, the article by Mike H. from North Hollywood, CA, and the article on sponsoring newcomers), an article written by Dan B. from Painesville, OH, entitled, “SA is Not Group Therapy,” and an open letter to SA from a prison inmate in Texas.

Finally SACC is reaching out through prison counselors and chaplains to offer more sex addicts in prison a chance to experience the strength and hope of SA recovery.

My own experience in serving SA on the Corrections Committee is one of love and gratitude. Whether I’m sitting in a prison meeting or corresponding with an SA on the “inside,” I’m sharing my experience, strength, and hope with an addict who wants recovery as much as I do. I realize how much my own sobriety and recovery depends upon my reaching out to other sex addicts. The SACC provides a great way to do just that.