Service Opportunities for CFC

Is your 12^th Step alive and well? Are you looking for an opportunity to carry the message and provide a service to those who still suffer?

If so, correctional facilities work may be just right for you. Here are three ways you can get involved.

Sponsor-by-Mail: If you have worked most of the Steps, have been sober for a year or more, and are willing to share your experience, strength, and hope through letter-writing, this may be for you. We have instructions and a Step guide for your use. Every letter is a lot like sharing in a meeting. Keith S. reports that 75 SA members are sponsoring 294 prisoners by mail, in 33 states.

Prison Meetings: If you are within driving distance of a receptive prison unit, you may wish to help with a regular weekly meeting on the inside. Committee members can help you get started, share our experience with prison meetings, and suggest approaches that may work for you in your state.

Parole Connections: You may want to establish a relationship with parole officers in your locality and provide SA brochures so that they can make referrals to your local meetings. The Committee will be glad to offer some useful suggestions.

If any of these activities appeal to you, or if you want to explore any other ideas for service to our fellows who have been convicted, please contact the SA CFC through the SA Central Office.

Just a reminder: Keith S. is collecting information about SA meetings being conducted in prison units. If you have information, please send it to him at SACFC, PO Box 3565, Brentwood TN 37024-3565.

Dear ESSAY,

I was in denial for 40 years. My wife didn’t think I was that bad. Now, I have a Higher Power. I have been working the Steps. I have a sponsor. I am attending the SA meetings.

I am incarcerated. I had never attended an SA meeting before prison. We have an SA meeting on Monday from 7:00 p.m. – 8:20 p.m. There are about 16–18 regulars. We have from 1–3 volunteers. I am grateful for these meetings.

It is with a feeling of wonder that I am writing you this letter. I had written you. The following week I noticed an address change. I wrote again. Both letters received a response. Thank you.

Dear SA International Central Office,

I’ve just been elected Secretary of the Saturday afternoon fellowship meeting at our facility, and thought that I’d touch base with you. We were very proud to hear that we are the largest SA meeting in a correctional facility. Keith S. of the Troy meeting and others put so much hard work into getting our meetings started and pairing us with volunteer “sponsors by mail,” along with volunteers from the Downriver meeting who join us when they can. Everyone involved made — and continues to make — sacrifices and we thank them all.

But, realistically, our volunteers have obligations to work and family that prevent them from coming to Adrian prison as often as we would like. We do understand that and thank them as well. We hope to see more of them in the future.

Those of us in the prison fellowship face special challenges. Most of us have acted out our addiction in a criminal manner against other people. This causes shame and rejection by others. But SA’s Steps help us to break the sick habit of hurting ourselves, others, and God. We look forward to meeting some of you on the Road of Happy Destiny. May God bless and keep you all. Our Parr Highway Correctional Facility meetings are: Thursdays 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

In Recovery,