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Into Action! A Prison Tale

Into Action ! A Prison Tale


Into Action ! A Prison Tale

Audio Version

My names Stuart, I'm an extremely grateful member of Alcoholics Anonymous, I have been involved in prison service for the last 26 years. I presently visit a relatively new prison, the largest prison in the U.K. All of my problems I had with the law whilst drinking, were indeed drink related, and I could have, and should have received custodial sentences on more than one occasion. But more through luck than judgement, I didn't. Now sober, I have never got up to the things I did back then, dishonesty and violence etc. My old sponsor, George "suggested" I got involved with prison service, and I accompanied him for many years, and continued after his sad passing. It became just one of my meetings, and still is to this day.

I met a man at a meeting just this week, he found sobriety in prison in 2012, and that means so much to me, that the message we spread within the walls does work. I have met men at meetings on the outside that I first met in prison, again, that gives me a great feeling that "this" works. I believe that 99% of men who are alcoholics will drink on the day of release from prison. BUT, If they attend meetings while in prison, and take advantage of our, "Through the gate service" where a member meets them and has a chat and a coffee. They can also arrange another member to meet them at their destination, and get them to a meeting. Their chances of not picking up that drink increase dramatically! Pretty good eh?

At my prison group we get about 12 men attend the meeting. That is the maximum, due to security, the size of the room etc. The sad part is that 15 men are currently on the waiting list to attend. The prison is only one third full, and is now in the process of filling up, at the rate of 15 men per day. By my reckoning, very soon there will be 50 men on the waiting list, can you imagine, getting to that point of desperation, being in prison, wanting to change your life, approaching AA, only to be told you're on, 'the list.'  I knew, when I first spoke to the staff at the prison, due to the size and lay out of the prison, it would need at least three meetings per week but we manage only the one!!! We only have three volunteers, soon increasing to four, so we attend every third week each. I have an 80 mile round trip, but intend to continue, but if any members read this and want to be involved in prison service, don't delay, do it. 

To finish, just think, you reach that point of no return, build up the courage to go to your first meeting, desperate and afraid, at the door your told, "SORRY, YOU WILL GO ON THE WAITING LIST, WE WILL BE IN TOUCH"" Thatâ??s what is happening within the walls.

STUART T, Shrewsbury