What do A.A. Corrections Committees do?
- Members of A.A. Corrections Committees coordinate the work of individual A.A. members and groups to carry the message of recovery to alcoholics who are in custody. Committees focus on:
- Bringing meetings and literature into prison facilities.
- Helping individuals being released from prison transition to the local A.A. community through prerelease contacts (Bridging the Gap).
A.A. Prison Meetings in Rhode Island
The Area 61 Corrections Committee facilitates and coordinates commitments at the Adult Correctional Institution (ACI) in Cranston (both men’s and women’s facilities) every week. Volunteering to participate in prison meetings is a great way to give back some of what has been freely given to us, and people who sign up for these commitments consistently report that it is one of their favorite A.A. activities.
Background checks and orientation training are required before you can participate. It’s not a complicated process but it takes a little time. (Don’t let the background check requirement put you off if you, yourself have some jail or prison time. We have volunteers going in who are former “residents” there).
You can get started in one of two ways:
- Send a request for an application to correctionschair@aainri.com.
- Attend the next Corrections Committee meeting. Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month at 6:00 PM, and they are hybrid meetings. You can attend in person at the Area 61 office at 3649 Post Road in Warwick,or online via Zoom. The Zoom address is 840 4080 9178. Password: Area61
Current Meeting Information
A.A. meetings are currently being held on Monday and Wednesday evenings at Minimum Security, Medium Security and the Intake Center, and on Monday and Thursday evenings at the Women’s Prison. Meetings are one hour long and begin at 6:30 or 7:00 PM, depending on the facility. You can volunteer for one or more meetings per month.
Bridging the Gap
Would you be willing to meet someone who is being released from a correctional facility
at their first meeting back in the free world?
We can all remember what it was like to walk into meetings when we were new,
probably our first meeting in particular. Try to imagine beginning to transition from
prison back into the “outside” world and contemplating walking into a new A.A. meeting
as well!
The chances of one of our A.A. brothers or sisters making a successful transition and
staying sober are greatly increased if they attend a meeting on the outside soon after
their release. Bridging the Gap makes it possible for that person to look forward to a
friendly face when they get there. You’re a not a sponsor, just someone who will make
them feel welcome and introduce them to others at their first meeting.
To volunteer or for more details, email BTG@aainri.com, or call (401) 642-4092 and
leave a message.
For more information on any of the above, or to join our committee:
Email correctionschair@aainri.com, or better yet, join us at our next monthly meeting. The Area 61 Corrections Committee meets at 6:00 PM on the third Wednesday of each month on Zoom. Meeting I.D. number 840 4080 9178. Password: Area61