1. CIRCLES OF SUPPORT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
LATVIA
Conference
“No more Victims”
15th March 2011

2. COSA “NO MORE VICTIMS” “NO SECRETS”
reducing recidivism
of sex offenders
COSA is about risk management of sexual offenders in community settings.
Started in Canada 1995:
Charles Taylor released in Hamilton, Ontario, low iQ, pedofile, recidivism risk 100%, scared community, picketing, 24/7 police surveillance,
Mennonite pastor was asked to assistance by the prison chaplain who had worked with Charles Taylor.
This pastor gathered a group of volunteers, congregation members to build a framwork of support and realistic accountability for Charly .
Charlies angels were succesfull: Charles Tayler died about ten years later without having commited further offences.

3. COSA It all started in Canada (1995) and proved to be successful
Following the success of Circles in Canada, COSA have been established in the UK (2002)
The Netherlands started implementing in 2009.
With Daphne III funding from the European Union the Project Circles Europe ‘Together for Safety’ was launched in 2010.

4. Circles Europe: ‘Together for Safety’
Aim: to promote the conditions for implementation and model fidelity of Circles across Europe by designing a guidance handbook. The handbook brings together knowledge and expertise about Circles from different countries, describing necessary phases (start up, development and evaluation).
Partners:
Dutch Probation Services
Center for Safety Policy&Criminal Justice (Avans)
Circles UK
House of Justice Antwerp (Belgium)
Tilburg University
European Organisation for Probation (CEP)

5. COSA: does it really work?
Canada:
(Wilson et al. 2007b) :
Rates of sexual reoffending reduced by 70%,
Less severe or invasive offences;
(n=120, follow up = av. 4,5 years)
Replication study in 2009:
83% less sexual reoffending
(Wilson et al. 2007a)
Increasing feelings of safety in the community (68% of respondents; n = 77)
England:
(Bates et al. 2007)
No reconvictions of core members
Risky behaviour detected in time and dealt with in 10 cases
(n= 16, follow up: 4 jaar)

6. COSA: how does it work Circle coördinator Core member Volunteers
Professionals

7. COSA: why does it work? 3 key principles: Support Monitor Maintain
Reduce isolation and emotional loneliness
Public protection
Hold offender accountable
Model appropriate relationships
Support statutory authorities
(e.g. probation)
Relationship of trust
Demonstrate humanity and care
Safer communities
Maintain treatment objectives
Reduce reoffending

8. Necessary steps - National level
Lessons learned from earlier experiences in the UK, Netherlands and Belgium:
Adaptation study
Financial means
Public relations and handling resistance
Developing protocols, manuals and basic materials
Building working alliances with national partner organisations
Developing processes and materials necessary to monitor and evaluate circles and ensure quality standards

9. Necessary steps - Regional level
Building working alliances with regional partner organisations
Organising the regional project organisation &
selection and training of coordinators
Recruitment, assessment and training of volunteers
Recruitment and selection core members
Recruitment professionals and sharing information
Support, supervision and meetings Volunteers
Monitoring model fidelity
Gathering data for research

10. Is it worth while?
N0, it’s not an easy and cheap solution to all problems, but…………….
Community costs of recidivism are high
Climate of fear / lack of unbiased information
Strong community reactions to release of sex offenders
Stigmatisation and exclusion
Social isolation and marginalization
Key risk factors: social isolation and emotional loneliness
Lack of monitoring
Long term risk of recidivism
You all know the kind of problems that arise when a sex offender is released into the community again. Victims and the community at large have a great and very legitimate need for protection, since the costs and devastating consequences of sexual violence are often very high. Very often this need of protection is expressed in a disguised way as an unrational fear and moral outrage, often fed by the tabloid press who seeks cheap succes (sex sells – we all know that). And since most people don’t read our more balanced scientific papers, very often this is all the information about sex offenders they get. Sex offenders are not seldom being exposed and harassed, and thus stigmatised and excluded from social life. However understandable, these community reactions are counterproductive, since they increase the risk of social isolation and marginalisaton. Key risk factors of reoffending in such a situation are social isolation and emotional loneliness.
Lack of local social control mechanisms and monitoring capacity by professional organisations like the probation organisation, and the fact that at least some sex offenders are at risk of reoffending for a very long time, far beyond their court supervision order, are also adding up tot the complexity of the problem.

11. Circles of Support and Accountability
Provides a surrogate social network as long as necessary
Offers practical and moral support for change
Supports treatment goals
Expands monitoring capacity
Supports development of safe and responsible communities
Supports agency of community members
COSA tries to answer to the need for protection by adressing these and other risk factors.
When the sex offender is released, COSA provides a surrogate social network of 4-5 volunteers, for at least one and a half year, time in which the sex offender (who by the way is called a core- member in a circle) is supported in developing and enforcing his own non-criminal social network.
COSA has three key functions: to offer support, both practical and moral to the core member in his efforts to change his behaviour and lead a responsible, meaningful life within society. To offer an opportunity tot the core member to practice in a rather safe, but real life situation what is learned in sex-offender treatment and to learn to use his relapse prevention plan. Thirdly COSA volunteers not only support, but also monitor by discussing actual risks and emotional problems of the sex offender. And as they themselves are rooted in the local community, the have their antenna’s out in the area as wel.
COSA brings in to practice the motto of the Athens IATSO conference: Sex –offending is everybodies business and claims to contribute to a safer and more responsible community and to enhance a sense of agency within community members (the volunteers) instead of feeding the feelings of fear and helplessness that end up in moral panic.

12. Let us share experiences and join together for a safer community

13. Thank you so much for sharing today