How does the Adopt An Inmate program work in the Tejas Bluebonnet Region?

Updated

The Adopt An Inmate subcommittee of the Tejas Bluebonnet Region sends free copies of Narcotics Anonymous — commonly called the Basic Text — to incarcerated people and to patients in long-term treatment facilities. The program covers jails, prisons, and treatment facilities inside the Region's boundaries. The person who wants a book only has to request it; the subcommittee handles the rest.

Who can receive a book

Two groups are served:

  • Incarcerated people in jails and prisons within the Region's boundaries
  • Patients in other long-term treatment facilities

The page evidence describes both groups as recipients of the Basic Text. It does not list eligibility rules beyond being in one of those settings and within the Region's geographic scope.

How the request process works

The key detail from the source is simple: the incarcerated person need only request the book be sent. There is no application form described, no cost mentioned to the requester, and no requirement that the person contact the subcommittee directly through a website or app.

What that means in practice:

  1. The person makes a request for a Basic Text.
  2. The subcommittee provides a copy of the book.
  3. The book is sent to the person at the jail, prison, or treatment facility.

The page does not specify the exact channel for making the request (for example, whether it goes through a chaplain, a facility staff member, or a written note). If you are trying to help someone request a book, the safest step is to use the contact options on tbrna.org to confirm the current request route before sending anything.

Geographic scope

The program is limited to the Region's boundaries. A jail, prison, or treatment facility outside the Tejas Bluebonnet Region is not covered by this subcommittee. If the facility is outside the Region, the request would need to go to the NA body that serves that area instead.

Flyers and donations

The subcommittee offers two ways for others to get involved:

  • Download the flyer — the page references a flyer for the Adopt An Inmate program, and a separate release covers new sponsorship and Adopt An Inmate flyers.
  • Make a donation — donations fund the books that get sent. The site lists Stripe as a payment platform.

Donating does not enroll you in anything or assign you a specific person; it supports the book supply that the subcommittee distributes.

What the page does not say

A few things are not covered in the available page evidence, so treat them as open questions rather than assumptions:

  • Whether there is any cost to the incarcerated person or facility (none is mentioned, but the page does not state "free" explicitly)
  • The exact mailing or request procedure
  • Any limit on how many books one person can request
  • Turnaround time from request to delivery

For those details, check tbrna.org directly or contact the Region through the "Need Help?" or "For Professionals" sections listed on the site.