NCWSA INSTITUTIONS COMMITTEE
Why the Pink Cans?
The Institutions Committee of Northern California World Service Area is an organized
committee with the purpose of carrying the Al-Anon message to those who are confined
in state prisons, jails, juvenile detention centers, group homes, shelters and other similar
facilities (see G-9). Northern California Institutions provides support to registered AlAnon meetings, as the incarcerated individual most likely will have little or no money to
purchase Al-Anon literature. Some Institution meetings have members who are transient
within that organization and others are more long term. State prisons will have
individuals spending 15 years to life. The Pink Can, with your pennies, nickels, dimes,
quarters, and dollars, pays for the books, pamphlets and other Conference Approved
Literature (CAL) to meet the needs of each type of facility.
The object is to be able to spread our limited donations from districts abundant with
membership and their donations to others that are not as fortunate. With this we ask
Districts that are able to provide literature to the Institution Meetings to please do so.
In the fiscal year ending December 31, 2011, our Fellowship donated a total of
$18,298.67 to the Pink Can Fund. NCWSA Institutions purchased $18,481.45 of AFG
books and literature. That year the literature went to the thirteen weekly meetings in the
five state prisons, as well as to county jails, juvenile halls and recovery centers. As of
October 2012, there are twenty-one meetings in the state prisons and two more meetings
are scheduled to start by December. Also added are six weekly meetings in county adult
facilities and one weekly meeting in a juvenile detention center. The growth continues.
There are 14 other state prisons, 4 federal institutions and 25 state prison fire camps in
NCWSA. There are also forty-six counties within our area. Most likely each county will
have a men and women’s jails and a Juvenile detention center. The long-term vision is to
supply literature in a fair and equitable manner to as many registered Al-Anon Institution
meetings as possible.
Al-Anon members involved in Institution service are not paid for their time nor are they
reimbursed for their expenses incurred in carrying the message into these facilities,
regardless of the distance. It is not unusual for an Institution volunteer to drive well over
200 miles for a weekly or monthly institution meeting. These travel expenses are a
personal contribution by the individual.
NCWSA Institutions Committee suggests that the Pink Can be passed separately from
the 7th Tradition basket to avoid subtracting any support from the 7th Tradition.
The Institutions Committee service for weekly meetings in state prisons was started in
2009. Institutions Coordinator Louise M. started writing to the state prisons in 2006
requesting to bring in Al-Anon meetings in to prisons. In August of 2009 Louise M.,
Yvonne de G. and Dan M. started the first Institution meeting on level 2 in Solano State
Prison, followed a week later by a weekly meeting at security level 3. The California
Training Facility in Soledad was the second state prison accepting an Al-Anon meeting
and the weekly AFG meeting started in December of 2009. The H Unit at the San
Quentin State Prison started in October 2010. Following this, the Al-Anon message was
carried into the Deuel Vocational Facility in Tracy on a monthly basis. A weekly meeting
was started at the Camp at the Old Folsom State Prison in November 2011 and is now n
the mainline population. The Deuel Vocational Institution started a weekly meeting in
2012.
We are humbly grateful for the generous contributions, both financial and in service, of
the Al-Anon fellowship that makes this service possible. Without your continued support,
this 12th Step service would not be possible.
For additional information please write to the NCWSA Institutions Committee, 1 W
Campbell Ave, STE Q82, Campbell, CA 95008-1040 or email to Institutions@ncwsa.org
January 2014