Updated July 2021
Thank you for your interest in leading an AA meeting in a Santa Cruz County jail facility.
The current requirements for volunteers in jails are one year of sobriety, five years since the last felony, and two years since the last misdemeanor required.
Please review the Inmate Programs Handbook before applying. Before you are able to lead an AA meeting in a corrections facility you must 1) apply for a one-year clearance and once approved, 2) attend a jail orientation. Note this process can take several weeks and up to one month – but it’s service and rewarding, and well worth the wait!
Also, please note that if you take a commitment as a meeting secretary, you are not eligible to be a sponsor of an inmate within a correctional facility until after your commitment has ended.
PROCESS:
1st – Download and complete the Santa Cruz County Corrections Access Application. This is required for new and renewing applicants.
2nd – Send the completed PDF application and a copy of your government-issued ID to SantaCruzCountyHI@gmail.com or bring them to our next monthly business meeting on [next-meeting]. Our meeting begins at 7:00 PM on the last Wednesday of each month. At the Trinity Presbyterian Church, Youth Room, 420 Melrose Ave, Santa Cruz.
New Applicants – Please indicate which orientation meeting you can attend in your email:
- The first Wednesday of the month from 1:30–3:30 pm OR,
- The last Wednesday of the month from 6:00–8:00 pm
Renewing Applicants – The background check process takes five days to complete. We will not be notified when your background check passes. However, we will be notified if your background check fails.
3rd – We will authorize and send your completed application to the Santa Cruz County Jail for verification and clearance. This process usually takes five days. We will notify you if your background check fails.
4th – If you pass the clearance (or if your clearance has lapsed by two or more years), your next step is to attend the Inmate Programs Orientation. When you email us your Corrections Access Application, please indicate which of the two dates above works best for you. We will sign you up and confirm the date and time you will attend the orientation.
5th – After your Inmate Programs Orientation, please email us and confirm your completion. At this point, you will be cleared to begin leading an AA meeting at a Jail.
6th – If you have not already done so, please let us know what current jail AA meeting opening(s) you would like to fill. (See the “Help Wanted” flyer in the menu above for the current openings.) We will confirm the opening and officially sign you up as the new meeting secretary.
7th – You are now ready to show up at your assigned meeting and begin carrying the message. If you are feeling ready you can begin. You can find meeting scripts to print out under the “Resources” menu item above. You decide the meeting format: speaker/discussion, Big Book study, step study, reading/discussion, round-robin sharing, etc.) You can stop by the Santa Cruz AA Central Office (5732 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, CA) to pick up free literature from the H & I cabinet to bring to each meeting and distribute. Remember, no cell phones, keys, sharp objects, etc., are allowed in jails. Only meeting scripts and approved AA literature.
If you would like to ‘train’ with another current volunteer first before leading your own meeting, this is possible. You can attend a few jail meetings that are on the regular schedule and learn from the current secretary. If this is of interest, please let us know by emailing: SantaCruzCountyHI@gmail.com.
Thank you for your service and for carrying the message.
Documents and Information
Corrections Access Application July 2021
Contact us: SantaCruzCountyHI@gmail.com