Expanding interventions to integrate men who have sexually offended back into the community: Circles of Support and Accountability in Europe

Abstract

The way that we prevent as well as respond to sexual offending is at a crossroads as we are starting to talk in a new language, with a blended health and justice framework, but we are grounded in a punitive system. Where do we go from this point? How do we develop effective, evidence-based community-based programmes for people convicted of a sexual offence? This chapter examines Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) and how it helps in the community reintegration of people convicted of sexual offences, the challenges that it faces in moving forward, and how it could overcome them. The chapter will finish with a discussion of Circles Europe and how its work ties to national and international trends in community reintegration and risk management.