"Taking Liberties Cults and Capitalism"

An article on Synanon by Ann Neumann, visiting scholar at the Center for Religion and Media at  New York University:

https://thebaffler.com/salvos/taking-liberties

See also, “The Social Development of the Synanon Cult: The Managerial Strategy of Organizational Transformation” by Richard Ofshe, University of California, Berkeley:

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3709903?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

‘Confirmation of Attendance’ or ‘chit’ system

 ‘Confirmation of Attendance’ or ‘chit’ system

In Great Britain, what started out as the Probation ‘Confirmation of Attendance’ or ‘chit’ system continues to expand, now being made available to social workers, courts and employers  – to almost any ‘professional’ who requires a ‘client’ to provide proof of their A.A. meeting attendance.

This expansion is in line with Government implementation of the Synanon Cult based Therapeutic Communities Movement’s Recovery Orientated Integration System (ROIS) into British drug addiction and alcoholism treatment systems.  The ROIS treatment system includes coercive referral to A.A.  ROIS is also known as Recovery Oriented Systems of Care (ROSC). US style drug courts have been trialled in Scotland, England and Wales.

While sections of the A.A. service structure in Great Britain are responding positively to these external initiatives, A.A. groups may not be fully informed as to the origin and nature of ROIS, or how the participation in signing of proof of attendance slips in the USA has compromised A.A. unity and public relations.

Whether for or against the  ‘Confirmation of Attendance’ or ‘chit’ system, A.A. members in Great Britain would do well to read the following A.A. report from the USA:

  “A Report on the Status of Cooperation with Courts in the Mid-Michigan Area and AA as a Whole” 

Containing A.A. reports from Mid-Michigan, Dallas and Maryland, this report documents problems A.A. groups have faced, gives analysis of A.A. Traditions, and how groups in some areas have resolved issues of disunity and affiliation with outside entities. The report documents how groups in Dallas, Chicago and Maryland have developed methods of cooperating with the Criminal Justice System which do not involve A.A. groups signing proof of attendance slips.

Extracts:

“What started out as an offer to work with any probationers that wanted help, has evolved into a complex system that is full of punitive measures such as daily breath and urine tests, group counseling and even 24-7 alcohol level monitors. The latest addition is the implementation of “recovery coaches” which seem to further blur the line between cooperation and affiliation.”

“The courts have sentenced parties who are not alcoholics to our meetings. The melding of sobriety courts and drug courts has created Singleness of Purpose issues. Now the expansion into “Healing Courts” and “Mental Health Courts” has been too tempting to court professionals who view assigning AA meetings as a catchall that is easily justified under the umbrella of “what can it hurt?” Their lack of understanding coupled with AA’s general inability to communicate what AA is, and is not, has contributed to AA in fact becoming a dumping ground.” (Mid-Michigan, Cooperation with the Professional Community Committee, District 6, Area 32: ‘A Report on the Status of Cooperation with Courts in the Mid-Michigan Area and AA as a Whole’).

 “Our experience has gone from early euphoria at "so many new-comers" to concern, frustration, dissension, and finally, to a general realization that our survival was threatened.” (Maryland General Service Office: ‘D.W.I.’S and COURT SLIPS IN AA MEETINGS - A Report on the Experience of the Maryland Area of Alcoholics Anonymous’)

“AA members cannot police attendance, answer questions about probation, or allow probation officers who are not alcoholic to attend closed meetings. Of greater importance, we cannot give our names and telephone numbers for verification by the judicial system. All of this is in direct violation of Tradition 12. Anyone who attends an AA meeting should have the confidence that their anonymity will be preserved nor should anyone be required to divulge that information because of affiliation with an outside entity.”

“Alcoholics Anonymous becomes affiliated in the minds of the probationers with the judicial system. In signing the papers, we underscore that affiliation. We are violating both traditions 3 and 6.”

“Instead of being sentenced to A.A., the probationers are sentenced to CRIP. Since CRIP is a court program, probation officers are present to sign all papers, monitor attendance and answer questions.” (Dallas Intergroup Board of Trustees: ‘Court Referral Information Program Information Sheet’)

For full report PDF Click Here

- Will this be the shape of things to come for A.A. in Great Britain?

- Have the A.A. service structures in the USA and Great Britain been tricked into integrating A.A. with an external treatment system which in the long term benefits Synanon Cult based Therapeutic Communities at the expense of A.A. as a whole?

For more information on the Recovery Orientated Integration System (ROIS) and how this system integrates with A.A. see AA Minority Report 2017: “Synanon Cult Influence on Alcoholics Anonymous, Addiction Treatment and the Criminal Justice System 1968-2017”