Disease?
Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Kansas
Posts: 10,182
Originally Posted by mle-sober 
PinkCuda -
Well, that's one negative way of thinking about it. I would prefer to imagine that since the prison system costs so much money and primarily sees it's role as punishment, some wise people have found a way to institutionalize a less-expenseive legal response to address non-violent offenders and in the meantime, also offer them a lifeline toward sobriety, should they choose to grab on.
Well, that's one negative way of thinking about it. I would prefer to imagine that since the prison system costs so much money and primarily sees it's role as punishment, some wise people have found a way to institutionalize a less-expenseive legal response to address non-violent offenders and in the meantime, also offer them a lifeline toward sobriety, should they choose to grab on.
Whether they are court-ordered to AA and refuse to admit they have a problem, or they are incarcerated and refuse to admit they have a problem, the end result is the same. It certainly makes sense to me to at least offer an opportunity to find recovery.
I personally feel enough of my tax dollars are already going towards keeping offenders incarcerated.
I also haven't met anyone who was court-ordered to AA who didn't have a tad of unmanagability in their lives!
mle-sober
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Golden, CO
Posts: 1,243
My sponsor was court ordered to attend AA and she was furious at it. But as she sat in those meetings, she slowly began to recognize herself. She has 20 years sobriety now and she never once relapsed. I know at least 6 others in my home meeting who originally came to AA because of legal problems - some were court ordered and some just recognized the hit over the head. In addition, I also know 3 other people in the outpatient program who began AA primarily because of legal problems. One of those 3 is court-ordered to attend and is both an alcoholic and a heroin addict. She is definitely committed (no pun intended) to her sobriety and has stated that she wouldn't have gotten as far as she is (she has over 100 days sober) without her probation officer's help and without the courts assigning her to several out-of-jail programs including NA.
That's just the truth about what I have learned about the people around me. That doesn't mean it's the truth about everyone.
But it's ridiculous to state that the system of sentencing alcoholics to AA rather than jail is merely to benefit the system and has no potential benefits for the alcoholics.
The only thing I agree with PinkCuda about is a certain phrase in line 5 in post 411.
That's just the truth about what I have learned about the people around me. That doesn't mean it's the truth about everyone.
But it's ridiculous to state that the system of sentencing alcoholics to AA rather than jail is merely to benefit the system and has no potential benefits for the alcoholics.
The only thing I agree with PinkCuda about is a certain phrase in line 5 in post 411.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 486
The criminal justice system was never set up to help anyone recover from alcoholism. The simple fact that the court system allows someone the opportunity to go to treatment or AA, in lieu of jail time (for a DUI in Washington it is up to a year in jail), is a gift from the court and legislature. What you do with that gift is solely up to you and no one else.
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