Dear ESSAY,

I am an incarcerated person in California. In the past, several of my fellow incarcerated persons and I have held SA meetings on a regular basis, and I’ve actually had a sponsor before. 

However, over the years, things have kind of fizzled out, and we no longer have our meetings, mainly due to members being dispersed throughout the system and some of the participants having been paroled. 

We all still enjoy receiving ESSAY. An article in the June 2025 edition has rekindled my interest in requesting that I be connected with an SA sponsor. The article, on page 33, entitled “Sponsorship in Prison,” reminded me of the important benefits that come from having a sponsor. As the author of that article expressed so eloquently, “I consider myself blessed to have found the man who is my sponsor. I never thought that I would ever have a sponsor to whom I could talk openly and honestly about my most shameful thoughts and behaviors. I know that without his help, support, and guidance, I would never be where I am today, living my life for the first time with joy and purpose.”

I would like to have such a person in my life. For this reason, I have asked to be connected with an SA sponsor so that I may continue my journey of recovery and take that journey to the next level.

Anonymous, California 

Dear ESSAY,

Just a quick note to tell you HOW MUCH I love the new ESSAY! What a wonderful job you have done there! I just love it because there are so many different articles about the topic, so many from women, and the layout of the magazine, everything. Thank you for your service.