NA Corrections

Sponsorship

Behind the Walls sponsorship may be one of the most rewarding services in recovery. The primary purpose of this project is to provide Sponsorship, through the mail, for inmates who desire to work the Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous.

The Behind the Walls Pen Pal program is designed to provide temporary sponsorship to those who are currently incarcerated as a result of their disease of addiction. It is focused on those addicts behind the walls who desire to begin working the 12 Steps of Narcotics Anonymous. All correspondence is delivered via a third party to protect the anonymity of our members providing temporary sponsorship. If you would like more information, or if you are interested in becoming a temporary sponsor for an addict who is currently in need and incarcerated, please click the Pen Pal Signup link to the right.

• It is our purpose to provide sponsors who are willing to correspond with any inmate who has the desire to work the steps.
• It is our hope that in our correspondence we will help the suffering addict find the solution that we have found.
• Our primary purpose is to remain clean, just for today, and to carry the message of recovery.

In observing the rules of the correctional Facilities regarding mail and correspondence, the following are suggested guidelines from our shared experience to help you when writing NA members "Behind the Walls":

1. Potential sponsors must have at least one year clean time, and be actively participating with their own sponsor.
2. In keeping with Tradition Twelve, we respect the anonymity of our correspondents. All correspondence will be sent through a post office box, with a correspondence coordinator to forward mail to other members who are participating in the Sponsorship Behind the Wall’s program. No personal contact in person or by phone is permitted. All correspondence should be received through the Florida Regional Service Office. Never give out your address or phone number. For your own anonymity and protection, it is suggested you use your first name only.
3. When we engage in this type of service, it should always be men writing to men, women writing to women. Please refer to the following Narcotics Anonymous literature that strongly supports this suggestion:
• H&I Service Bulletin #5: Men working with Men, Women working with Women
• Hospitals & Institutions Handbook - Page 7
• IP #11 Sponsorship, Revised
• PR Handbook - Page 112
4. Never write anything you don’t want the world to read. All correspondence is opened and subject to monitoring by the institution.
5. Correctional Facilities have rules for sending literature. Most correctional facilities only allow inmates to receive literature directly from the publisher, so you should always check with a facility before mailing books or literature. Photocopies are usually accepted. Most facilities do not allow inmates to receive stamps or pre-addressed, stamped envelopes.
6. If an inmate requests an NA book from you, forward that request to the Corrections Coordinator and the committee will send the inmate, upon your request, an Introductory Guide to Narcotics Anonymous.
7. NA members with correctional facility clearances may not correspond with inmates in those facilities.
8. NA members with Behind the Walls clearances may not correspond with inmates in those facilities.
9. Remember, it only takes two addicts to have a meeting, writing is no different, so let the inmate know that like in all forms of sharing, this helps us as much as it helps him or her. Let them know they are never alone. We share our experience, strength, and hope, and being clean in recovery. Since change happens as a result of working/applying the principles behind the 12 steps of recovery, we encourage you to be a step-writing guide through that process.
10. Encourage the inmate to participate in twelve step meetings available to them in the facility.
11. Prior to their release, we strongly suggest sending them an area/regional meeting schedule where they will be released. It is important to have a “game plan” and knowledge of meeting places the first day they get out.