NCJ Number
160642
Date Published
1994
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Many who may not be alcoholics are unfairly forced into Alcoholics Anonymous (AA); others who may be alcoholics are offended and harmed by the organization's cult-like indoctrination.
Abstract
Increasingly courts and businesses are requiring persons under their jurisdiction to undergo treatment for alcohol abuse that includes involvement in AA's 12-step recovery program. Failure to comply with the treatment regimen can result in punitive sanctions. Persons required to undergo such treatment may or may not have a chronic problem of alcohol abuse, since scientific diagnostic procedures are not routinely used prior to the imposition of coercive measures. Fortunately, the courts have supported those seeking protection from coercive treatment. In every court challenge to mandated AA attendance to date, the courts have ruled that AA is equivalent to a religion for First Amendment purposes. The State's power is limited to regulating people's behavior, not controlling their thoughts. Instead of mandating a religiously oriented treatment modality, courts and businesses should punish misbehavior straightforwardly; offer treatment to those who seek help, but not as an alternative to accountability; offer a range of therapeutic alternatives; and emphasize specific behaviors, not global identities.