Corrections

Corrections

Committee Purpose

Our purpose is to carry the AA message to alcoholics in correctional systems through the activities of AA members, groups and committees. We do this by assisting individuals, groups and districts in carrying the AA message to alcoholics confined in correctional facilities, recently released from jail, or participating in a correctional program. The committee has been focusing on information which will go up on this web site, which will include institutional meeting lists and information on the Pre-Release Program. Federal clearance forms are available from the Corrections Committee Chair.

The corrections chair is also responsible for ensuring an Area 79 presence at two semi-annual, week long John Howard Society Information Fairs in the Pacific Region, in April and September. The corrections committee provides AA literature to ‘inside’ AA groups and encourages ‘outside’ AA members to assist in this project, either by donating new or used AA literature or by contributing to its purchase through donations to “Pink Can” program(s), locally or at AA events.

Committee Chair

The Corrections Committee Chair is an appointed position on the Area Service Committee. For more information about the duties and responsibilities of the Chairperson, please see the Job Description below.

Contact the Corrections Chair by email:

For those wishing to submit their resumes for either an elected or appointed position on the Area 79 Area Service Committee, please download the suggested service resume form. The link will reroute you to our elections section of our website. The use of the resume form is not mandatory for either elected positions or appointed positions. However, its use does assist both the candidate and the Fellowship in several ways. These include the provision of consistent information in an organized way and assisting candidates in adhering to time limits for presentation of resumes.

To let your name stand for an appointed position please see: Elections Page

Further Information

For anyone interested in learning more about carrying the message inside the walls of Federal Correctional Facilities in Area 79, visit the Corrections area of A.A.’s World Services Website.

For information from Corrections Services Canada, visit the Volunteer pages on the Corrections Services Website.

Pre-Release Contact Program Information (Outside) (pdf, 2 pages)
Provides information about this program to interested A.A. Volunteers, and to Professionals and Correctional Facilities Administrators. The purpose of the program is to connect the inside AA member with an AA member on the outside, in the community in which they will be residing following their release.

Corrections Committee Chair: Job Description

The corrections chair works with the area Area Service Committee (ASC) and assigned district committee members (DCMs) to carry the A.A. message to those inside the walls at all nine federal institutions in Area 79. These facilities have active AA groups which hold regular meetings. This position is also the primary point of contact for outside AA members who wish to volunteer to attend inside meetings. Any persons who wish to pursue this assignment should be aware that Corrections Service Canada (CSC) clearance is required in order to enter the federal institutions. This position also requires some extended travel and time commitments.

Duties

  • Maintain contact with the correctional AA groups through each facility’s special programs officer (SPO).
  • Encourage A.A. members to obtain CSC volunteer clearance in order to attend regularly scheduled A.A. meetings inside the federal institutions.
  • Encourage both inside and outside A.A. members to sign up for the area’s pre-release contact program. This puts an incarcerated member in contact with an A.A. member on the outside prior to release.
  • Receive the completed Pre-release forms, respond to the inside member by regular mail, and distribute the completed form to the appropriate District Corrections Chair or DCM.
  • Encourage AA members to participate in the Corrections Correspondence Service program sponsored by the General Service Office, sharing their experience, strength and hope with incarcerated AA members.
  • Maintain an updated list of all scheduled AA meetings at each of the federal institutions.
  • Ensure that Area 79 is represented, and AA literature is provided, at the semi-annual week-long info fairs hosted by the John Howard Society. These are held at each of the nine federal institutions.
  • Assist local intergroup and/or district corrections committees when requested.
  • Distribute AA literature and pre-release contact forms to all institutional groups.

Duties Common to all ASC Members

  • Attend and participate in all regularly scheduled Area Service Committee (ASC) meetings (held in Vancouver on the first Wednesday of each month). Meetings could also be held virtually when necessary.
  • Reply to email, telephone and written questions. Willingness to learn and develop computer/technical skills as necessary.
  • Attend and participate in all quarterlies and assemblies in-person or virtually as required.
  • At each quarterly, assembly and ASC meeting, provide reports on activities since the previous event.
  • Chair appropriate committee at quarterlies and assemblies. Assist with venue set up and tear down.
  • Maintain contact with district and local committee chairs.
  • Maintain contact with district committee members (DCMs) assigned to ASC member’s committee.
  • Submit regular monthly expense reports to the treasurer.
  • Participate in preparation for the General Service Conference by reviewing and summarizing the assigned agenda background material, providing information to DCMs, chairing the committee meeting at the Pre-conference Assembly, and providing the committee’s recommendations to the assembly and delegate.
  • Facilitate workshops.
  • Participate on Ad Hoc committees as required.
  • Be available for travel assignments, including taking Area 79 archives and/or Grapevine kits to AA events.
  • Review www.bcyukonaa.org content as it relates to the member’s position, providing updates and new materials to the website chair as needed.
  • Prepare and assist for transition of your position at end of your rotation. Ensure flash drive is updated regularly and provided to Secretary annually.
  • Maintaining blue boards/display boards and literature supplies for travel events.

Further Considerations

  • The time commitment required is substantial and will vary from position to position, and also with the particular skills possessed by the member. Generally, some time will be spent every day to check and respond to emails and phone messages. Some jobs have workloads that are heavier at certain times than at others.
  • It is encouraged that you speak with members of the ASC (current or past) to ask more specific questions if you wish to put your name forward for a position.
  • Area Service Committee membership may sound demanding, but, as we so often find in AA, the rewards are far greater than time and effort put in.