AA offers meetings in prisons and supports those in the Probation Service.

Around 63% of prisoners are described as hazardous drinkers in England and Wales, and alcohol is thought to play a part in around 1.2 million violent incidents – almost half of all violent crimes, with devastating consequences for victims, their family, friends, and the wider community.

It’s hoped engagement with AA will positively support rehabilitation and reduce reoffending.

Probation Liaison Officer

AA is located across the UK. Each geographical area has a responsibility to liaise with Probation Offices/ Scottish Social Services Offices.

Engagement with AA can change the direction and quality of many offenders’ lives, and in turn, impact positively on the probation system, and wider society.

Our Probation Liaison services can:

• Offer information/support to any Probation Officers and Criminal Justice Social Workers.
• Help inform the design of any policies relating to alcohol abuse.
• Give presentations and provide literature to magistrates, judges, court officials, law firms, and police.
• Make the AA contact card (Helpline) widely available to anyone in contact with offenders.
• Offer AA volunteers to talk to offenders struggling with a drinking problem.
• Take offenders to an AA meeting and produce records of attendance.
• Host seminars at the AA service conference for those working in the AA/Probation Liaison.
• Invite probation staff to attend AA Open Meetings to see how it works.

To get in touch with a member of our Probation & Criminal Justice Liaison team please call us on 01904 644026 or e mail us on gso@alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

Information for Prison Staff

AA has worked with prison staff for over 50 years offering our voluntary recovery programme into prisons.

We’re involved in the majority of prison establishments throughout the country.

For inmates, we offer:

• AA meetings for prisoners.
• Visits from AA members to inmates unable to attend meetings.
• Postal correspondence with prison sponsors via our service address.
• To meet inmates in the AA Fellowship on release from prison and assist them to attend AA meetings.

For prison staff, we offer:

• AA members who can visit/ inform staff on what AA can do.
• To flag when AA meetings take place within the prison, and advise on procedure.
• AA literature available to distribute.
• To answer any questions relating to our programme of recovery.