SA Corrections Committee Report

More inmates are learning about Sexaholics Anonymous, thanks to the efforts of our members to carry the SA message behind prison walls. Some members are corresponding with and sponsoring inmates. Some are contacting state and local correctional officials to see if they are open to informing inmates about our fellowship. Some are working with SA groups inside prisons and some are contributing to the SACC Literature Fund so that more inmates can read about the solution to sexaholism.

Here are some statistics about the work the SACC has been doing since the beginning of the year:

• We received about 90 letters from inmates requesting literature, someone to correspond with, or a sponsor.
• We received about 25 letters from correction officials making inquiries regarding our fellowship.
• We have been in contact with about 60 members who are interested in or are already involved in 12-Step work with inmates. These members are from the USA, Canada, Australia, Ireland and England.
• SA meetings are being held in eight correctional facilities in as many states. Over 50 inmates are attending these meetings.
• Contributions to the SACC Literature Fund have surpassed the $4,000 mark. More groups and Intergroups are setting up ways to contribute regularly to the work of the SACC.
• The SACC has fulfilled literature requests from 80 inmates.

SACC Correspondence

One inmate wrote that he spoke to the substance abuse counselor at his facility about the need for an SA group. The counselor listened with “great interest and sincerity” and later announced to both the Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings that an SA group was being formed. Twelve inmates came to the first meeting and they have sent in a request for literature.

Another inmate wrote that he recently learned about SA through a meeting held at his facility. He requested that SA literature be sent to his home address in Eastern Europe where he will be deported on his release. He hopes these materials will benefit “new members of SA in Eastern Europe.”

Recently we received a letter from a 20-year-old sex addict who has been incarcerated since he was 16 by a state youth authority. The 12-Step approach was recently incorporated into his treatment program. He writes: “I have found it to be beneficial to admitting my addiction, starting and now learning to maintain recovery. I accept that I cannot do this on my own and when I leave this institution, I will need help in continuing my recovery.”

Looking Ahead

Recently a representative of our committee met with the person in charge of the prison service desk for AA. Drawing on AA’s many years of carrying its message into prisons, this person provided our fellowship with helpful information and literature about how to approach this vital 12-Step work. AA has about 2,400 groups with over 62,000 members pursuing their recovery behind bars. Upon their release, they will be met at the prison gates by members who will take them to their first AA meeting on the outside. The goal of the SACC is to do likewise. We know that faith without works is dead.

If you would like to join us in our work, please consider coming to the SA International Conference in Sacramento, California, Jan. 9 – 11, 1999. There the SACC will hold a workshop about correction service work. If you would like more information about our work in the meantime, write us at SACC, P.O. Box 283, Bellevue, WA, 98004. You may also E-mail us at SACC@sa.org, or call us at (U.S.) 425-644-1597.