Unique,
deceptively simple, Circles of Support and Accountability are small
groups of ordinary citizens who meet weekly with a pedophile or sexual
predator to help him succeed in his life outside prison and to ensure
he doesn't
re-offend. They are volunteers, they are in the relationship for the
long term, and although many come from the faith and social services
segments of society, they have no special professional qualifications.
They become the pedophile's surrogate family, his friends and his
community as they help ease his safe transition back into society.
They are his advocates, helping him deal with bureaucracy, landlords,
job interviews and battles with addictions. But they are also his
monitors, always alert to any behaviour or mood that could trigger a
relapse.
It is a simple concept, but it is not easy. These offenders can have
developmental issues and few social skills; many are manipulative and
habitual liars. They need attention, live from crisis to crisis, and
can take up hours and hours of time. Volunteers need a sharp mind as
well as a good heart, inordinate amounts of patience and a healthy
sense of humour.
Overseeing the 25 Circles currently operating within southern Ontario
(in four main population centres - Toronto, Hamilton, Peterborough and
Kitchener-Waterloo) are four paid employees. Officially all are part
time; in reality most work much more than a 40-hour week. As well,
each is a member of at least one or more circles.
Acting as an advisory board is a working group of up to eight
individuals consisting of corrections professionals, pastors, a police
officer, Circle members and the project manager.
There have been 44 Circles since the first one started in Hamilton in
1994. Some have disbanded because the core member is no longer
interested in participating and some have disbanded because the core
member no longer needs regular weekly meetings. Circles of Support and
Accountability have started in British Columbia, in Iqualavit, Nunavit
among the Innuit population there, and this year in Newfoundland, a
Canadian province still reeling from recently uncovering widespread
child abuse two decades ago by Roman Catholic clergy in schools and
orphanages. There is growing and widespread interest in this simple,
community-based program as police and correctional professionals have
presented papers and given talks about the Circles concept in
Washington, D.C., London, England and Bermuda, to name a few places.
Later this year, Dr. Robin Wilson of Correctional Service of Canada is
releasing his study of 30 high-risk sexual offenders who have been
Circles core members from between 16 to 79 months. According to two
actuarial measures: Rapid Risk Assessment of Sex Offender Recidivism
and the Structured Anchored Clinical Judgment, this group should have
committed seven sexual crimes. Instead Wilson has documented that only
three re-offended, and each offence was less serious than the crime
for which the offender had been incarcerated.
PROGRAM
BASICS
INITIAL CONTACT WITH CORE MEMBER
The role of a COSA is to facilitate the reintegration of an ex-offender
from a prison into the community in such a way as to enhance public
safety when there is a perceived abnormal element of risk. The Circle is
a support and safety mechanism. At the centre of the Circle is the
ex-offender, the Core member. S/he is involved from the beginning and
included in all decision making. When re-entering the community, s/he
faces problems that s/he may not be equipped to manage.
DEVELOPING A PLAN
Everyone in the community benefits if a plan is in place that provides
solutions. The ideal plan prepares the Circle to receive the offender on
discharge and maintains the necessary supports for as long as necessary
to reduce the risk effectively. By developing a relationship with the
offender before release, and through dialogue with institutional staff,
treatment teams, social workers and psychologists, volunteers are able
to determine his/her needs upon release and what the risk factors are.
This early rapport creates an atmosphere of friendship and trust which
is integral to Circle’s success.
Each Circle and plan has its own personality because it is designed
around the unique profile of the Core Member. The life of a Circle
extends as long as the risks to the community and the Core Member are
above average. The intensity with which members of the Circle are
actively involved in the life of the Core Member varies and will,
hopefully, diminish over time.
RISK AND NEEDS
The risk for the community lies in the possibility of re-offence with
sexual offences against children among the most abhorrent. The first
concern of the Circle is to minimize the risk to children.
The risk for the ex-offender lies in the reaction of the community,
police attitudes, media responses and his own personality and lack of
experience. The concern of the Circle is to protect his rights as a
citizen, to support him in his efforts to integrate into society and to
hold him accountable for his actions.
The risk for the victim(s) lies in the fear of facing their perpetrator,
in their own vulnerability, and the fear that the offender will violate
them or someone closely related. The Circle ensures that the victims are
accessing the available resources in the community to meet their
personal needs for healing and safety. In addition, direct input by the
victim to the Circle (where applicable) provides insights for monitoring
relapse prevention strategies.
There is a direct correlation between needs and risk. The stress created
for the ex-offender when his basic needs are not being met leads to an
escalation in the risk for re-offense. A COSA assists the Core Member by
ensuring that basic needs are met in order to minimize the risk of
re-offense.
VOLUNTEER PROFILE
Screened and trained community volunteers who are professionally
supported by local resources are people from all walks of life who
display stability and are known in the community, (references checked).
They possess a high level of maturity, a balance in lifestyle and
viewpoint, understand the need for healthy boundaries, and have
availability for meetings 1-2 times weekly for at least the first two
months. Demands decrease as the ex-offender adjusts however a
commitment of one year is required by both volunteers and core member.
Why would anyone take on this task? Some feel strongly about human
rights while some share the anger of the community over the
victimization of children and want to create a safer environment. Some
believe in God's love and the concept of forgiveness and in the
statistic that the majority of sex offenders are victims themselves. The
guiding principles of Circles of Support and Accountability are echoed
in Restorative Justice fundamentals - taking into account the needs and
concerns of the victims and community as well as those of the offender.
In keeping with the conception of COSA, volunteers are primarily from
the faith community but also come from a wide range of concerned
citizens' groups.
For more information please contact..
danhaley@nexicom.net
Dan
Haley
Peterborough Community Chaplaincy
Main
office P.O. Box 235
Peterborough ON
K9J 6Y8
705-741-4172 (Office)
705-741-4833 (Fax)
Office
E-mail
ptbochaplaincy@nexicom.net
Dan's personal e-mail danhaley@nexicom.net
Web site
www.ptbochaplaincy.org
New
Beginnings (transition house)
953
Clonsilla Ave
K9J 5Y2
