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Re-entry Initiatives

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Anderson, Samantha and Karp, David R. Vermont’s Restorative Reentry Program: A Pilot in Burlington’s Old North End

The Vermont Department of Corrections (VDOC) has been one of the pioneers of restorative justice in the United States. VDOC continues this role with the application of restorative principles to their reentry program. A basic component of this effort is to modify Vermont’s reparative board model to organize community volunteers more effectively for participation in restorative justice panels. A restorative justice panel consists of community volunteers who meet with offenders reentering society. Community members provide advice and support for offenders on reentry. Samantha Anderson and David Karp review a pilot program for a restorative justice panel in the Old North End of Burlington, Vermont, a district with high crime rates and a significant number of released offenders.

Cesaroni, Carla. Releasing Sex Offenders Into the Community Through "Circles of Support" -- A Means of Reintegrating the "Worst of the Worst"

Using the philosophy of restorative justice, the Mennonite Central Committee, Ontario, created a program entitled Circles of Support and Accountability. The program attempts to return sex offenders to the community in a productive, supportive fashion while still holding the ex-offender accountable. Volunteers, primarily from the faith community, assist with practical life-skills, emotional needs and in mediation with the wider community. Most ex-offenders appear to join a Circle as a means of self-protection. All seem aware of the reality that often surrounds the release of a high-profile sex offender. A number of former Circle members have indicated that they would have returned to a lifestyle conducive to re-offending had it not been for the Circles. Abstract courtesy of National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.org.

Correctional Service of Canada. Circles of Support and Accountability: A Guide To Training Potential Volunteers. Training manual 2002

Circles of Support & Accountability represent an innovative response to a controversial social issue in our society. The purpose of this manual is to assist in the training of volunteers who are willing to become a part of a Circle of Support and Accountability for warrant expiry sex offenders. This document is also an initial attempt at a distillation of the work and wisdom of many individuals across Canada who have worked with this still relatively new initiative. Its creation was occasioned by a recognition of the increasing need to develop greater consistency in the process and standards of orienting and training potential volunteers and professionals.

Evans, Donald G. Faith Community Celebrates 10 Years of Circles of Support

Public concern over the release of sex offenders into the community with no supervision requirements led a small church to form a CoSA group to assist the offender and to assure the public safety. While most CoSA groups in Canada are faith-based groups, there is no requirement that the groups be faith-based. The CoSA program works by accepting high-risk sex offenders newly released from prison into the group at the core member. The CoSA groups, including offenders, meet regularly for 2 to 3 hours; there are also daily check-in responsibilities that allow the offender immediate access to two or three group members when the offender needs support. Informal support is offered through telephone calls and activities such as shopping trips. CoSA members are volunteers who are trained and have usually committed themselves to the program for at least 1 year. Decisions within the CoSA group are made by consensus and, upon release from prison the offender agrees to abide by all the conditions set out by the CoSA group. Evidence and testimonials are offered that illustrate the effectiveness of CoSA groups in Canada. CoSA groups are reshaping how corrections is viewed in Canada and the practical support offered to high-risk sex offenders is viewed as necessary for both the public safety and the successful transition of the offender back into the community. Over the next 10 years it will be important to build a base of evidence showing how CoSA groups contribute to the overall well-being of the community and newly released offenders. Abstract courtesy of National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.org.

Gordon, Katya Goodenough. From Corrections to Connections: A Report on the AMICUS Girls Restorative Program.

Corrections professionals are looking for new models that can effectively address the needs of women and girls in the corrections system and take on the unique challenges they pose. For the past four years, the Minnesota Department of Corrections has partnered with AMICUS (a non-profit agency) and a juvenile residential placement facility to provide a gender-responsive program for serious and chronic female juvenile offenders. “The Girls Restorative Program” is an innovative effort that blends the philosophies of restorative justice with the best practices of gender-responsive programming for girls. Restorative services are provided to girls while they are in residential placement, during their transition and furlough, and after release. (excerpt)

Hannem, Stacey and Petrunik, Michael G. Canada's Circles of Support and Accountability: A Community Justice Initiative for High-risk Sex Offenders

In 1986, legislation that was designed to keep high-risk offenders away from the public actually created a loophole that allowed certain high risk offenders to be released at the conclusion of their sentence without any community supervision requirement. Canadian authorities realized that releasing high risk offenders, especially those convicted of sex crimes against children, into a fearful and hostile community would not serve the public interest. As such, the COSA initiative came about with the understanding that community protection can be enhanced by a restorative approach that combines offender reintegration with a concern for public safety. The development of this approach in Canada came about as a result of public outcry following a high-profile case in which a released sex offender killed a child. COSA works by uniting four to seven trained team members in a covenant with a high-risk sex offender in order to provide the offender with assistance obtaining work, housing and recreation, social assistance, and community resources. The criteria for successful COSA’s include open communication between COSA team members and the criminal justice system. The COSA model requires a careful balance between reintegration and risk management concerns, but the effort provides enhanced community safety and valuable community reintegration services that help keep offenders from recidivating. Abstract courtesy of National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.org.

Hannem, Stacey and Petrunik, Michael G. Circles of Support and Accountability: A Community Justice Initiative for the Reintegration of High Risk Sex Offenders.

This article is an examination of the Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) initiative in Canada as a community response to the release of high-risk, warrant-expired sex offenders. In this paper, we examine the socio-political context in which the COSA initiative emerged and provide a theoretical analysis of the underlying philosophy of the programme. Conceptual links are drawn between the practice of COSA and Braithwaite and Mugford's 14 conditions of successful reintegration ceremonies and, drawing on our experiences as volunteers with a COSA initiative in a Canadian city, we suggest three best practice conditions for the creation of successful circles. We also show how COSA balances its twin, sometimes competing objectives : 'No one is disposable' and 'No more victims.' (author's abstract)

Herron, Bobbie J. . Citizens Circles: A Road Map to Successful Community Involvement Promoting Responsible Citizenship

Citizen Circles create partnerships that promote positive social interaction and accountability for offenders upon release. Circle members address risks that contribute to criminal activity by taking ownership over the solution. It is an opportunity for citizens to communicate expectations for successful reentry and help offenders recognize the harm their behavior has caused others. Offenders are able to make amends and demonstrate their value and potential to the community. (excerpt) This manual provides an overview of the Citizen Circles.

John Howard Society of Manitoba. Backgrounder: The Restorative Parole Project

The Restorative Parole Project is a pilot project of the John Howard Society (JHS) of Manitoba, a community justice organization. A voluntary, non-profit organization, JHS strives to achieve restorative justice by working with victims, offenders and communities to repair the harm caused by crime. (excerpt)

McWhinnie, Andrew. Courageous Communities: Circles of Support and Accountability with Individuals Who Have Committed Sexual Offenses.

This article discusses the use of Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) in Canada to aid convicted sex offenders not to re-offend as they re-enter the community. The article uses vignettes of the first case that led to CoSA and volunteer experiences to describe the impact of the programme.

Strahl, Barbara T.. Implementation of the Forum Program in Southern Nevada Prisons

This action research study examined the implementation of an innovative mediation program – probably the first of its kind – to be available in prisons. Upon release from prison, inmates and their families face a myriad of uncertainties. This study sought to addresses theses issues by providing inmates, who where soon to be released from southern Nevada prisons, the opportunity to participate in mediation with family and their community if they so chose. This study is theoretically grounded in the literature of restorative justice, mediation, and feminisms. It tells the history of developing and implementing the FORUM (Family and Offenders Reconciliation Using Mediation) program. Secondary questions stem from implementation and can be grouped into three primary categories: ● the program (How the program was conceptualized and developed. How the program was received.) ● the inmate (What were inmate perspective? How did they decide to use the processes and what issues were raised? Who did they chose to mediate with? Did they consider the process helpful in planning for release?) ● and the families ( Were families willing to participate, why and why not? What issues did they raise? Did hey consider the process helpful in planning release?) Data for the study came from investigator observations and field notes and questionnaires completed by the inmates and other parties in the mediation. The voices of the inmates, rarely heard, are privileged. There are shared as they became partners in the process of analysis. Through FORUM it was hoped inmates would improve the quality of their live through community-building, healing, and promoting bonds between and among people. The process itself modeled successful conflict resolution. Study findings are significant to the justice community in transitioning offenders to the community. The United Nations working definition of restorative justice includes examining and dealing with the impact on the family and reintegration of the offender into the community. Yet, there are no programs in the U.S that speak directly to this issue. Mediation has proved successful with offenders and victims and could contribute to improving transition from prison to community.

Walker, Lorenn and Sakai, Ted and Brady, Kat and Sakai, Ted. Restorative Circles: A Solution-Focused Reentry Planning Process for Inmates

This article describes a pilot programme in Hawaii using restorative circles in creating transition plans for inmates.

Wilson, Robin J and McWhinnie, Andrew and Cortoni, Franca and Wilson, Robin J and Prinzo, Michelle and Cortoni, Franca and Picheca, Janice E. and Wilson, Robin J and McWhinnie, Andrew and Prinzo, Michelle. Circles of Support and Accountability: Engaging Community Volunteers in the Management of High-Risk Sexual Offenders.

The main goal of the COSA model is to reduce the risk of future sexual offending by assisting and supporting released men as they attempt to integrate into the community. The program originally targeted offenders released at the end of their sentences because this group of offenders is released without a formal process of aftercare. COSA is a community-driven model that relies on volunteers who are supported by professionals. In most communities, COSA programs are guided by an advisory panel and professionals train, support, and educate community volunteers to work with offenders as they integrate into the community. Volunteer recruitment has been the most difficult challenge facing COSA programs. The majority of volunteers have been recruited from faith communities. The COSA model was founded following a high-profile case in 1988 in which a released sex offender murdered an 11-year-old boy, galvanizing the Canadian society to push for sociopolitical change regarding the management of sex offenders in Canada. The ensuing 10 years were marked by numerous attempts to ensure greater official control of sex offenders, particularly repeat sex offenders released from prison at the end of their sentences. In an effort to supervise and provide community opportunities for a convicted sex offender released in 1994, the COSA model was developed by a Reverend who formed a group of supportive volunteers. A short time later, the Mennonite Central Committee of Ontario (MCCO) accepted a contract from the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) to establish a pilot project based on the Reverend’s approach that would be capable of being broadly implemented. Formalized in 1996, the COSA has been widely implemented across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Empirical evaluation data has supported its effectiveness. (Abstract courtesy of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.gov).

Wilson, Robin J and Prinzo, Michelle and Picheca, Janice E. and Prinzo, Michelle. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Professionally-Facilitated Volunteerism in the Community-Based Management of High-Risk Sexual Offenders: Part One – Effects on Participants and Stakeholders.

This study presents evaluation data from the Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) pilot project in South-Central Ontario, Canada – specifically regarding the effect that COSA has had on the community and those personally involved in the project. Results suggest that the COSA initiative has had a profound effect on all stakeholders: offenders, community volunteers, affiliated professionals, and the community-at-large. Being involved in a COSA appears to have greatly assisted many high-risk sexual offenders released to the community in remaining crime-free, with many reporting that they likely would have returned to offending without help from COSA. Community volunteers involved in the project reported a perceived increase in community safety as a result of COSA, as well as a belief that Core Members were motivated to succeed in the community. Professionals and agencies (for example, police officers, social services professionals, administrators, and other similar professionals) identified increased offender responsibility and accountability, as well as enhanced community safety. Survey results obtained from members of the community-at-large showed substantial increases in perceived community safety in knowing that high-risk sexual offenders in the community were involved in the project. The results of this study are discussed within a framework of empowering communities to participate in the effective risk management of released sexual offenders. (author's abstract)

Wilson, Robin J and Prinzo, Michelle. Circles of Support: A Restorative Justice Initiative

Conditional release in Canada has had a long history; however, recent shifts in policy reflect the community’s increasing intolerance for criminal behavior, particularly in regard to sexual offenders. Although maintaining offenders in prison for longer periods of time may satisfy some of the public’s desire for punishment and removal from society, the practice of limiting community supervision is a “double-edged sword.‿ Over the last 10 years, restorative justice has been widely recognized in Canada. Restorative justice is seen as a means to promote accountability of offenders. Restorative justice is defended as a more effective means of crime prevention than punitive approaches. This paper reviews the Canadian penal system and its handling of sex offenders, examines the increasing difficulties faced in community-based management of sexual offenders in Canada, and provides a brief overview of the restorative justice initiative, Circles of Support. The Circles of Support initiative managed by the Mennonite Central Committee of Ontario focuses on the need to engage the community in the offender’s reintegration process. Community volunteers are used to aid in the management of sex offender risk. This paper studied 30, federally sentenced, high-risk sexual offenders released at sentence completion and provided with community support in the form of Circles of Support and Accountability. Results of comparisons between projected and actual recidivism show that the group of offenders included in this analysis were recidivating at a rate less than 40 percent of that expected. This study used actuarial assessment, primarily of static variables, to predict a recidivism rate which was then compared to an actual recidivism rate. I Abstract courtesy of National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.org

Wilson, Robin J. Can We Welcome High-Risk Sex Offenders Back to the Community?

The term “pedophilia‿ refers to individuals sexually attracted to children. As Robin Wilson writes, pedophilia incites an enormously high degree of fear and anger among the general population. Even when pedophiles are arrested, convicted, and incarcerated, the vast majority of them in Canada and the United States eventually serve their terms and return to society. It is in this context that Wilson asks what can be done with “high-risk‿ sex offenders who return to our communities. To explore the possibilities, he discusses a successful program for released sex offenders in Canada called 'Circles of Support and Accountability,' a collaboration between the Canadian government and the Mennonite Central Committee of Ontario.

Wilson, Robin J. Risk, Reintegration, and Registration: A Canadian Perspective on Community Sex Offender Risk Management

In closing, it is clear that we, as sex offender professionals,need to encourage the collaborative approach to risk management. Researchers and clinicians, working together with law enforcement, must assist communities in becoming more educated about how to manage risk in their midst. This seems to be the most credible route to increased public safety. Communities have become too reliant on official control to ensure the safety of their vulnerable members, and governments have done little to correct this blind faith. Circles of Support and Accountability are a good example of the community proactively taking part in risk management. However, the concept of engaging offenders as they return to society continues to be unpalatable to most. Nonetheless, the data are clear collaboration and engagement increase public safety. As elusiveas it may be, “no more victims” continues to be our shared ultimate goal.