Transcript Document

CIRCLES OF SUPPORT AND
ACCOUNTABILITY
A model for the safer resettlement of
Sexual Offenders in the Community
Tim Richley, Criminal Justice Advisor, Sacro
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WHAT IS A CIRCLE?
A Circle of Support and Accountability is an intervention
which compliments the formal risk management agenda
in order to assist sexual offenders re-integrate into their
communities. Circles use trained volunteers, selected,
coordinated and supervised by professionals, in order to
provide support and monitoring for offenders who are
committed to avoiding further offending. Circles have the
potential to increase community safety by encouraging
and assisting the ex-offender to live an offence free
lifestyle as well as informing formal community protection
agencies that there may be a danger of relapse.
Tim Richley 2007
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AIMS OF CIRCLES
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To substantially reduce the risk of future
sexual abuse of children or adults by
assisting and supporting offenders, who
are committed to not re-offending.
• To assist those offenders in the task of
integrating with the community and leading
responsible, productive and accountable
lives.
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The Three Key Principles
of Circles
Support
Monitor
Maintain
Reduce Isolation and
Emotional Loneliness
Public Protection
Hold Offender
Accountable
Model Appropriate
Relationships
Safer Communities
Relationship of Trust
Demonstrate
Humanity and Care
Support Statutory Authorities –
Police, Probation, MAPPA
Maintain Treatment
Objectives
Reduce Re-offending
Saunders & Wilson 2002
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A CIRCLE OF SUPPORT AND
ACCOUNTABILITY IS ABOUT….
• Working in partnership to enhance public safety
• Assisting an offender to reintegrate into the
community – by using the community as a
resource
• Maintaining the commitment to non-offending
• Acting as a support and a safety mechanism
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A CIRCLE OF SUPPORT AND
ACCOUNTABILITY IS NOT ABOUT….
• Befriending offenders
• Working with offenders on their offending
behaviour
• Replacing the work of statutory agencies
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Criteria for Core Members
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Must be a voluntarily decision to join Circle
Must accept responsibility for Offending Behaviour
and be motivated not to re-offend (some levels of
minimisation are acceptable/ inevitable)
Must display a willingness to engage with
volunteers specifically around offending behaviour
Due for release into the community/Living in the
community
Preferably due to commence or complete
accredited Sex Offender Treatment programme
Prioritise services according to risk and need of
offender
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Core Principles
• Community Initiative
• Public Protection
• Community Safety
• Social Inclusion
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Core Principles
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Volunteering key to the impact of Circles
• Core members are individuals and should be treated
with humanity and respect
• Core members should be held accountable for their
actions
• Through support and accountability core members
have ability to change, grow and learn
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Golden Rules
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Partnership
• Communication
• No Secrets
• Flexibility
• Team Work
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Recruitment and Selection of
Volunteers
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Be open and honest about what is required from
volunteers
Be open and honest when advertising
Commence with a specific and careful recruitment
strategy
Work under Child Protection Heading for first year
Gradually increase publicity and awareness of Circles
in local area
Follow selection criteria provided by Circles UK
Don’t take risks for the sake of setting up a Circle
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Training of Volunteers
• Volunteers interviewed regarding their interest
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in Circles
Attend 16 hour training programme
Selected or de-selected at the end of this
process
Receive ongoing Support & Supervision from
Circles coordinator
Attend follow up “advanced” training
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Volunteer Safety and Wellbeing
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Risk Assessment
• Training needs
• Communication links
• Boundaries
• Policies and Procedures
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Supervision and Management of
Volunteers and Circles
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Personal Reviews
• Circles Reviews
• Peer Supervision
• Regular Communication and Information Sharing
• Bring Volunteers together
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The Process of a Circle
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Core member referred/ assessed/ identified
Appropriate volunteers identified
Information meetings held (without Core member)
Core member introduced
Weekly meetings
Review meeting – new arrangements put in place
Ongoing support of all Circle members by coordinator
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Circles Models
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Introduction of Circle whilst core member in Prison
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Introduction of Circle on arrival to Approved Premises
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Introduction of Circle at commencement of SOGP
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Introduction of Circle at end of treatment programme, specifically
Relapse Prevention Module
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Introduction of Circle at end of Statutory Supervision
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Agreement of inclusion of Circles in risk management strategy though
local MAPPA
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What makes an Effective Circle?
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Selection of Core Member
• Appropriate balance and selection of volunteers
• Involvement of key professionals
• Trust and Honesty
• Maintaining firm and clear boundaries
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Research of Canadian
Circles (since 1994)
• 60 “core members” matched to a control group
•Circles members had 70% lower rates of re-offending
relating to sexual crimes
•Circles members had “significantly lower” than the
predicted rate of re-offending
•Lower rate of re-offending relating to violent crimes
•Of the 3 who re-offended sexually, the offences were of
less severity than original offences (e.g. obscene phone
call as opposed to rape)
Circles of Support & Accountability
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Evaluation of Thames Valley
Circles Pilot April 2002 –
September 2005
• After 3 years none of the 20 Core members had been convicted of a
new sexual offence
• 8 (40%) were detected as having engaged in recidivist behaviour
(i.e. behaviour that suggested they were about to commit an
offence)
• 3 were recalled to prison
• 1 breached his SOPO ( and received a Community Rehabilitation
Order)
• 1 was suspended from the Circle for three months and subsequently
was reinstated
• The other 3 were managed under the auspices of the MAPPA and
held to account within the Circle
• Of all this recidivist behaviour, 86% (7 out of 8) incidents were
detected by the activities of the Circle
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The need for an Approved
Scottish Pilot
• Locating Circles within the wider framework of policy and
provision
• Avoiding ad hoc development
• Ensuring proper standards and protocols
• Effective monitoring and measurement of outcomes
• The need to actively involve the Community in Risk
Management
• The reasons for not having Circles in Scotland have
been discredited by research and experience
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The Proposal to deliver Circles
in Scotland
• A three year pilot, funded by the Scottish
Government & managed by Sacro
• The development of up to eight Circles in four
pilot areas
• Oversight by inter-agency Steering Group
• Evaluation of process and audited outcomes
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Potential issues for the
Scottish Prison Service
• Early identification and possible referral of potentially suitable
offenders (via ICM process?)
• Joint working with community based agencies to prepare relevant
protocols
• Liaison with Parole/ non Parole process and the Parole Board
• The promotion of Circles within prison system – to staff and
offenders
• Preparation of offenders who will become core members on release
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Potential issues for Local
Authorities and the Police
• How will Circles fit in/ liaise with current
MAPPAs?
• Referral arrangements for potential Core
Members currently in the community
• Operational Interface between Circles, Local
Authorities & the Police
• Possible tensions arising from the differences
between control, support and accountability?
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Historical perspective of
Circles in Scotland
• May 2001 – Initial meeting about Circles in Scotland – Steering Group
formed
• May 2002 – Conference on Circles at Tulliallan
• 2001 – present day Steering Group continue to meet
• 2003 – Initial proposal to deliver Circles in Scotland submitted to Scottish
Executive
• 2006- Justice 2 sub committee recommend that Scottish Executive
“consider potential” of Circles in Scotland
• 2006 – Scottish Executive “agrees that there is a role for the voluntary
sector and volunteers in relation to the support of offenders within the
community”
• 2007 - Most recent proposal submitted to Scottish Government
• 2007 – Scottish Government commission study which will inform
feasibility of Circles in Scotland.
• 2008 – Spring: report due regarding outcome of study
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Representatives on Scottish
Circles Steering Group
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ACPOS
ADSW
COSLA
SPS
Children 1st
NOTA
Sacro
Catholic Church
Church of Scotland
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Scottish Episcopal Church
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For information or updates on
Circles in Scotland contact:
[email protected]
For information on Circles UK go to
www.circles-uk.org.uk
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