BARS & CELLS

Bars & Cells is the CFC newsletter published quarterly and primarily contains the CFC minutes from the Quarterly Assemblies and Workshops. However, the CFC would like you to provide stories, letters, poems, etc., that have been shared by inmates at your meetings so their experience, strength and hope can be published in the Bars & Cells to be shared with others. Please forward information or any other items of interest to the CFC Secretary or to a member of the committee.

Thanks for the opportunity to serve as your Area 64 CFC Secretary. I look forward to my duties and welcome any and all suggestions or ideas for improving our paths of communication. I'm privileged to be serving with an outstanding committee and group of trusted servants.

Yours in Service,

Jethro

CFC Secretary

Area 64

2nd Quarter Assembly

Pigeon Forge, TN

April 30th May 1st, 2nd

 

 

All stories, letters, poems, etc. will be considered. Please send copies, as we cannot take responsibility for returning these items.

Secretary’s Note: During the 2nd quarter assembly, while the rooms were great, there were some issues with hearing in the meeting spaces. If any comments are not included in this newsletter, please be aware that it is not intentional. It is our goal to include as much of our sharing sessions and meetings as possible.

 

6:30pm Sharing Session

33 people present

 

Chairperson, Mary Ann E.-She is corresponding with several inmates and has an inter-group inventory coming up in Alabama. Said she hasn’t been doing a lot but Mandy reminded her that she had done several things lately. Keep up the good work Mary Ann.

 

Alt Chairperson- Mandy S –She’s still taking meeting into Sumner Co. Jail. She is working closely with the person responsible for writing policies and procedures for the new facility. She has shared her story several times and attended the Middle TN Corrections meeting in an effort to improve communication between our two groups.

There have been no hits on the web-site.

 

Secretary-Jethro-Participation at his group has been great with the men’s and women’s meetings. New representatives have been elected by the group to ensure accountability and serve as liaison to the Jail Administrator. He has shared his story several times and is still working diligently with two groups of inmates at the Henry Co. Jail.

 

Treasurer-Rebecca C-She spoke at the drug court and the Whitehouse group has really been growing in their support of corrections. Cans, for literature donations are drawing great participation.

 

Budget & Finance-Marty M-He is still willing to take in meetings but isn’t at this time. He presented the committee with a request for a tentative 2005 budget.

 

Literature Coordinators-3 present Fri. night and told the committee what requests they had for literature.

 

Archivist-Amy M-She presented the CFC committee with our new bulletin board. She has done an outstanding job on it and it really attracted a lot of attention during the assembly. Way to go, Amy! Keep up the good work.

 

 

Bobbie A-She carries a women’s meeting into Blount County every Saturday night. Chaplin K is contact for trying to get other meetings in.

 

Kevin-Macon Co. Jail is very responsive to outside contact. Drug court in that area is the only one in Tennessee that has a residential treatment program for offenders. They have just been awarded a one million dollar grant to continue their work there. The judge of DC4 is in charge of that if anyone would like more information.

 

Daryl N-There is a new CFC chairperson in District 1. He is helping him learn the ropes.

 

Sherman-Used to have meetings in Blount Co. but he stopped when they moved to the new facility and they haven’t been able to get back in since.

Apparently, GSO still thinks Sherman is an inmate and they have his meeting listed as a corrections meeting.

 

Mary O-She is the coordinator for women’s meetings in Sevier County. Their group alternates with another twelve step group on a monthly basis.

 

George-North Gatlinburg Group-takes in a Sevier County men’s meeting. They have an average of 25-30 in attendance.

 

Len-Dist. 31-attends CWC every Sun. and Tues. night. They have a group taking in a step study using a weekend retreat style.

 

Chuck E-He is still corresponding with several inmates.

 

Tod S.-By the Book group-He’s mainly been concentrating on getting literature into the facilities.

 

Milton C-Area 64 Delegate-GSO still needs stories from women and young people who are or have been inmates and got sober through AA. These are to be published in a new version of “Inmate to Inmate.”

 

9am-Business meeting

38 people present

 

Meeting began with lots of discussion on proposed 2005 budget. After discussion a budget was approved and given to Marty for submittal to Budget and Finance.

 

Minutes were approved.

Treasurers report was approved.

 

Mandy S-has some concern that the new Sumner Co facility will be audio/video taping their meeting area. She sees this as a clear violation of our traditions.

 

After much discussion the general feeling was that we need more education of corrections officials concerning our traditions. It was pointed out by some that we must adhere to the policies of each facility we take a meeting into and that videotaping may serve to benefit us from the standpoint of a security issue.

There was no formal action taken on this issue.

 

Old Business-details for the fall workshop flyer were discussed and approved. The dates are August 27, 28, 29 at Shoney’s Inn in Gallatin. Room rates are $49 plus tax. 800-552-4667 or 615-452-5433 and ask for the “corrections” rate.

 

Tod S was appointed the new literature coordinator for North Middle TN.

 

The new agenda for our Corrections Workshops was approved. It is as follows.

 

Fri

            7pm-Registration & Welcome

            8pm-Candlelight meeting

Sat

            9am-Opening comments &

            sharing session.

            10am-Speaker or Panel

            12-2pm-Lunch Break

            2-4pm Workbook review

            and question/answer session

            4pm-Speaker meeting

            Dinner break

            8pm-Support local AA meeting

Sun

            8:30am-Business meeting

 

 

New Business cont.

 

Motion approved to spend $1000.00 on literature for next assembly, “above and beyond” what we normally spend.

 

Motion approved to reimburse Amy $18.63 for bulletin board expenses.

 

Meeting adjourned at 10:15am

 

 

Budget Report 5/2/04

Beginning balance                     1512.47

Income

7th Tradition Workshop              123.00

7th Tradition Assembly    153.40

Group Donations                        137.00

Other Literature Sales                  12.00

Reimbursement from

Area 64                                    928.80

 

Total income                             1354.20

 

Expenses

Chair expenses               167.94

Literature                                    928.80

Newsletter                                   79.90

Bulletin Board                              18.68

 

Total expenses                          1195.32

 

Ending balance             1671.35

 

Check us out on the web:

www.area64assembly.org

Click on Area Committees

Then click on Corrections

 

Pre-release Contact

PO Box 68527

Nashville, TN 37206

 

Yours In Service,

Jethro-CFC Secretary

 

 

 

 

Area 64

CorrectionalFacilities Committee

Fall Workshop

 

 

 

August 27, 28, 29,

Shoney’s Inn

221 W Main St

Gallatin, TN

 

Room rate $49.00

plus tax

615-452-5433

800-552-4667

 

Ask for Area 64

Corrections Rate

 

 

 

 

 

Come join us for fellowship, panel discussions, question and answer sessions and informative speakers.

 

10am-Panel Speakers

Toni S

 (CCA Coordinator)

 

British John P

 (CJC Coordinator)

 

Steve L

(Davidson Co Coordinator)

 

 

4pm-Speaker

Susannah B.  (Franklin)