A matter of funding
Jennifer Armstrong considers some challenges facing Circles of Support and Accountability
Circles of Support and Accountability have two main, interconnected aims: to protect the public and to reduce re-offending. A Circle comprises trained volunteers, usually four, and the offender, known as the core member. Volunteers are supervised by a paid coordinator and work with other bodies such as the probation service, police and Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). The Circle seeks to help the core member, a high-risk sex offender now living in the community, to establish an independent, non-offending way of life. The Circle supports the core member through regular meetings, befriending them while not becoming friends in the usual meaning of that word. Most importantly, volunteers believe that change is possible. At the same time, they will hold the core member to account by challenging attitudes and behaviour that may signal a risk to the community. This can result in a return to prison.
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