The Narcotics Anonymous group hosted its annual banquet at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center July12, which packed a large crowd of residents and outside volunteers and organizers into Chapel B.
The event began with a moment of silence, followed by a reading of the Serenity Prayer. The event’s host, resident Steve Stevens, said the event had the purpose to bring hope for recovery.
“It is pleasant and an honor to be here at San Quentin, they do recovery, they do Narcotic Anonymous,” said outside speaker Stanford Armstead, an EOPS counselor at Monterey Peninsula College. “After doing some work, I got a chance to look upon my life; I was scared; it was then that I was given the opportunity through NA to do the work.”
According to Stevens, outside participants were encouraged by the power of love and spiritual principles. They took turns in discussing their stories and reading from the program.
Armstead talked about his struggles with addiction. He said he had relapsed several times after his release from prison in 1992. He added that at one point of his life, he had lost everything and he went to a program in which he kneeled and looked at the sky, saying, “I don’t want to be loaded anymore.” He told the large crowd that he has remained clean and sober since June 26, 1995.
“This is like a huge family reunion,” said resident Tony De Trinidad.
Two residents entertained the crowd by rapping about the NA 12-Step program. The duo emphasized the importance of recovery and staying sober.
Former resident Eddie Lozano said he had started shooting up heroin in 1975. In 1980, he had gone to prison and had spent several years at San Quentin. He recalled a time in which San Quentin had a different culture without NA groups.
“I was never exposed to NA and when I started to hear the language, it gave me hope,” said Lozano. “Don’t leave five minutes before the miracle happens.”
Lozano credited the program for his success. He had returned to school and earned his higher education degree, which led him to travel the world to attend NA conferences.
Lozano said that during one of his stays in county jail, he had met someone who returned to jail after relapsing, simply because he failed to attend NA groups. He had not put his tools into practice.
Back in his days as an addict, Lozano said, he did not know about the tools. At that point, he realized that he needed to take action. Now, 35 years later, he said he never looked back and continued to celebrate his victory.
Near the end of the event, participants were called to the front of the chapel to receive cards that showed the length time of their sobriety. The categories started at 30, 60, and 90 days, then six, nine,12 and 18 months, and finally, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 years.
“Heart to heart, I understand where I came from. I love hospitals and institutions, for it warms my heart, ‘cause I know how it feels to be stuck in jails,” said guest Patti Pike, who has been sober for 32 years. “NA is a place you can go where people have similar stories and maybe it can help you. Recovery is possible.”
“I think it is important as unity and community to encourage the people who are just coming and to acknowledge the people who have been clean,” said San Quentin resident Kojo D. Clutchette.
