Corrections Resources
AA meetings and support for those in jails, prisons, and correctional facilities in Northwest Louisiana.
AA in Corrections
Alcoholics Anonymous has a long tradition of carrying the message into correctional facilities. AA members volunteer their time to bring meetings inside jails, prisons, and rehabilitation centers — at no cost to the facility or the participants.
If you are incarcerated and want to attend or start an AA meeting at your facility, or if you are an AA member interested in volunteering for Corrections service, please contact Central Office.
Bridging the Gap
The Bridging the Gap program connects AA members who are being released from correctional facilities with an AA sponsor or temporary contact in the community. This "bridge" helps members transition back into free society with immediate AA support.
If you are being released and want to connect with local AA, contact Central Office before your release date if possible.
Call (318) 865-2172Meetings Inside
AA volunteers bring meetings into local jails and correctional facilities throughout the Shreveport area. If your facility does not have an AA meeting, contact Central Office to request one be established.
Volunteer to Help
AA members with at least one year of sobriety are encouraged to consider Corrections service work. Contact Central Office to learn about opportunities to carry the message into local facilities.
AA Literature for Facilities
Central Office can provide AA-approved literature to correctional facilities. The Big Book, Twelve Steps & Traditions, and a variety of pamphlets are available. Contact us for information.
The Role of the Corrections Liaison
"Group corrections representatives take part in local intergroup (central office), district or area corrections committee meetings. They keep their home groups informed about local Twelfth Step activities in nearby institutions and encourage group members to participate."
"Corrections representatives, known in some areas as hospitals and institutions (H&I) representatives, take AA meetings into prisons and jails, where allowed by the correctional facility, to help alcoholic inmates recover and prepare for sober, fulfilling lives after release. As part of the temporary contact program known in some areas as Bridging the Gap, they may also serve as correspondents and as AA contacts when the inmates are released."
Corrections Correspondence Service (C.C.S.)
The C.C.S. links AA members who are in custody with AA members on the outside so that both can share their experience, strength, and hope with each other. It is one of the most meaningful ways an individual AA member can carry the message — no facility access required, just a willingness to write.
- C.C.S. Insider Request Form — for AA members currently in custody who want a pen pal correspondent
- C.C.S. Outside Volunteer Form — for AA members on the outside who want to correspond with someone in custody
- Prerelease Contact Information — for members on the outside
- Prerelease Contact Information — for members on the inside
To submit a correspondence form by mail, use the tear-off form in pamphlet F-26 and mail it to the GSO Corrections Desk, or email corrections@aa.org.
Core AA Corrections Resources
The following publications are available online through AA.org. Print copies of many are also available at Central Office, 2800 Youree Dr, Shreveport, LA 71104 — call (318) 865-2172.
- Corrections Committees — Overview of corrections service work, tools and ideas for committees
- Corrections Committee Workbook (M-45i) — The primary resource for AA members carrying the message behind the walls
- Contents of the Corrections Kit (F-68) — Workbook, corrections-specific pamphlets, DVDs, and guides
- Carrying the Message Into Correctional Facilities (F-5) — Basics of bringing AA into prisons and jails
- AA in Correctional Facilities — Overview of how AA operates inside correctional facilities
- The AA Group Handbook for Groups That Meet in Correctional Facilities (CF-36) — For AA groups inside facilities with little outside AA contact
For Corrections Professionals
Information for probation officers, prison administrators, and those in the judicial system who work alongside AA.
- A Message to Corrections Professionals — Explains what AA is, what it can do, and how groups function inside a correctional facility
National AA Corrections Resources
AA's General Service Office maintains a Corrections Committee that supports AA's work in correctional facilities nationwide. For national resources and information:
AA.org Corrections Resources