Narcotics Anonymous- Service work in Jails & Institutions

Then what, when does the magic start?

Meetings and Formats

Narcotics Anonymous (NA) describes itself as a "nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem". Narcotics Anonymous uses a traditional 12-step model that has been expanded and developed for people with varied substance abuse issues and it is the second largest 12-step organization

A Narcotics Anonymous meeting of two or more recovering addicts will meet

regularly at a specific time and place for the purpose of recovery from the disease of addiction.

Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry the message of recovery

to the addict who still suffer........

Regular meetings, hosted by NA groups, are the basic unit of the NA Fellowship. Meetings are held in a variety of places such as church meeting rooms, libraries, hospitals, community centers, parks, or any other place that can accommodate a meeting.

Members who attend the same meeting on a regular basis to establish a recovery network and reliable routine understand this to be their "Home Group". Group members are able to participate in the group's business, and play an important role in deciding how the group's meetings should be conducted.

As of May 2010 there were more than 61,800 NA meetings in 131 countries

There are two basic types of meetings, "open" and "closed". Anyone is welcome to attend an open meeting, while closed meetings are limited to addicts and to people who think they may have a problem with drugs. The third type is one held in an institutuion and may be done under supervision.

The group is the most powerful vehicle of carrying the message of hope and the promise of

freedom from active addiction. Any addict can stop using, lose the desire to use, and find a new

and better way to live. In meetings other addicts share their experience, strength, and

hope in order to stay clean themselves and help others to stay clean. Addicts found that the

therapeutic value of one addict helping another is without parallel.....

Service Structure

"The road to recovery is a simple journey for confused people with a complicated disease"

The Narcotics Anonymous service structure operates at area, regional and world levels. These levels of service exist to serve the groups and are directly responsible to those groups, they do not govern. World services is accountable to its member regions, who are in turn responsible to member areas. Area Service Committees directly support member groups and often put on special events, such as dances and picnics. Area service committees also provide special subcommittees to serve the needs of members who may be confined in jails and institutions, and will also provide a public interface to the fellowship.

What steps are taken to start a meeting in a institution?

If a inmate wants to start a meeting what would need to happen? First the institution must approve!

Who helps an addict behind bars get help from addiction?

After the inmates have been given permission they are then directed to write the World Services of NA Office in CA. They present their desire to be part of a registered NA group. If the permission is granted then a group welcome back with literature, readings and key tags are sent out. The inmates are then allowed to facilitate meetings using the NA approved literature. Meetings are often facilitated in manner which allows the men and women or meet alone.

Ever wonder what happens to an addict when they are locked up?

Not all facilities have meetings established. It is up to the local NA service members to facilitate panel meetings so that each member can hopefully be exposed to someone in recovery. Some times facilities will allow the inmates to start a NA meeting inside the institution. Often this will be done under the superviosn of NA Volunteers and the facility starff.

Addicts behind bars are often able to obtain narcotics and other mind altering substance as easily as they could on the streets.

Hospitals and Institutions

Active addiction often leads to jails, institutions, and death.NA’s primary purpose is to carry the message of recovery to the addict who still suffers. Addicts will often enrich their own recovery by carrying the NA message of recovery into hospitals and institutions is one of their top priorities in giving back. NA members have consistently supported this belief by forming Hospitals and Institutions (H&I) committees around the world.

Can anyone in NA help hold meetings with the inmates?

What if someone else wants to help?

Often the local NA helps the inmates start meetings by working closely with the facility staff and program cordinators.

NO, NA service member follow guidelines decided upon by their local Area Service Structure and abide by them first in order to maintain their traditions, principles and anonymity. There are also legal aspects such as previous convictions and relationship to the inmate which restrict who is allowed in the facilities. There are often clean time requirements (length of abstinence) and decisions are made on a case by case decision process.

What is Narcotics Anonymous?