honeypig

I believe there is a paper that is signed, velma. It is between the AA "official" who signs the paper each meeting, the offender who is ordered to attend the meetings, and the social worker/parole officer/court official or other individual responsible for making sure the offender meets the conditions set by the court.

There is just one more person involved than there normally would be, to ensure that the condition is being met.

Whether it actually does any good to order these people to go is a whole nother discussion...

biminiblue

And since AA is completely anonymous, there is no way to prove if the offender actually went to a meeting or if he/she signed it him/herself or had their buddy on the next barstool sign it. There is no real accountability with this broken system.

Many people walk in and have an attendance verification slip signed by just any random person who will agree to sign it before the meeting and then leave, too. Court ordered is wrong on so many levels. It forces AA members into the uncomfortable position of either signing their real name or making up a name. I refused to sign them for people. AA "Officials"? - there is no such thing.

IMO they (the parolee) should be made to pay for and attend an IOP (or in-patient would be even better) where there is proper supervision by paid staff and actual provable attendance slips if it's going to be a condition of their parole/probation.

Not that women would have been any safer if this man had been in IOP. Again, there are dangerous people on line at the bank.

honeypig

And since AA is completely anonymous, there is no way to prove if the offender actually went to a meeting or if he/she signed it him/herself or had their buddy on the next barstool sign it. There is no real accountability with this broken system.

Stuff like that never even occurs to me, bim. Doubtless why XAH was able to keep me on the hook for 20+ years. It never even OCCURS to me that a person would lie or fake or cheat, b/c it wouldn't cross my own mind to do it. Not patting myself on the back for my honesty, b/c it's not really a decision I make and I can't take credit for it--it just never enters my mind that there are other options.

And clearly that is a mixed blessing. Thanks for the info.

nez

In AA I learned how to live life. It taught me how to become a mature adult.

I came into AA as a irresponsible walking time bomb. In AA, I learned how to not put myself at risk by getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while drunk. I learned how to not put others at risk by getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while drunk. I learned how to take personal responsibility. I learned how to take care of myself. I learned how to treat others. The list goes on and on...

Any personal risks of attending AA meetings, was far outweighed by the benefits to myself and society in general. In AA, I have learned to minimize the harm I cause (and to recognize it and promptly work on amending it), and to me this is the greatest gift of all.

nez

I was a threat to society.

tomsteve

when i was court ordered to 2 meetings/wk for a year, i made it about 2 months,then started buying sigs at a bar for a beer. then got cheap-sat at home with a 6 pack goin through the phone book. pulled up this guys name and that guys phone #. signed em left handed,right handed,drunk,sober...
i hadnt suffered enough but when i did i knew where to go.

didnt really care if the PO called them numbers. "its an anonymous program-of course the people they call on my sheet are gonna say they dont know what the PO is talkin aboout!"
i was a wee bit sick,delusional, in denial......

hopeful4

When I was a leader at Celebrate Recovery I signed those slips all the time. The people were present, but if they were getting anything out of it was iffy. Just because their body is present does not mean their mind is.