Circles of Support and Accountability - Interim report [PDF ... - Quakers

Introduction
It is not difficult to imagine some of the negative feelings of a man being released after years in
prison, especially if he has been rejected by family and friends because of the nature of his crime.
Bitterness, loneliness, fear of being recognised, alienation from society… And it is increasingly
being acknowledged that a sex offender who comes out of prison in that frame of mind is more
likely to re-offend, even if he starts off with the best of intentions.
Circles of Support and Accountability is a scheme which was first developed in Canada in the mid
1990s to address that very situation, and Quakers and many others are working to get the same
approach established in Britain. At its heart is a way of working which might be described as a
partnership between voluntary and statutory agencies and the community. In Canada it grew out
of the principles of restorative justice, which seeks to involve, and work for the benefit of, the
victim, the offender and the wider community.
In the Canadian criminal justice system there was a paradox. Most prisoners were released from
prison before the end of their sentence and for the remainder of the period were given some form
of supervision in the community. But prisoners who were considered too dangerous to release
before the end of their sentence were given no support or supervision after release. Ministers felt
some moral obligation for these ‘warrant expired’ prisoners and this formed one of the catalysts
for Circles. There was also a felt need to address the sense of powerlessness within the community
when potentially dangerous prisoners were released. Groups of individuals, mainly churchgoers,
responded by spontaneously forming small groups or circles around one or two particular
offenders and from these informal beginnings a project grew, partly funded by the Correctional
Service of Canada (which runs their prisons and probation) and administered by the Mennonite
church. The police in the parts of Canada where Circles have been operating for some time have
become convinced that the scheme works and now co-operate with it.
How the scheme works in Canada
It seems sensible at this point to describe the ‘classic model’ of a Circle of Support and
Accountability, though there are many slight variations. The offender is identified while still in
prison – up to a year before release. He (and it was always ‘he’, at least in the early years) will be a
high risk sex offender, with high levels of need and little or no support from family or friends in
the community. He is usually at ‘warrant expiry’. He is referred to as the ‘Core Member’ of the
Circle. Many of the Core Members will have committed offences against children, but those who
have offended against adults are also included in the scheme.
The volunteers have to be prepared to make a substantial commitment of time, over a period of
one year in the first instance. They must be willing to befriend the Core Member, but don’t need to
be experts. They need to be responsible people with their feet on the ground, mature about their
own sexuality. Volunteers are screened, trained and supported by the Circles scheme. Typically,
four to six volunteers will be allocated to a Circle. If possible, the Circle of Support and
Accountability will meet with the Core Member before he is released.
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