This innovative project started in Canada in 1994, funded by the prison service but administered by the Mennonite Church. It’s basically a very structured system of supporting sex offenders, befriending them with the aim of decreasing risk of further offending.

Quakers have always been known for their commitment to working with the most marginalised groups in society. In 2000 it started in UK, with Quakers heavily involved in setting up pilot schemes in the Thames Valley area. More can be found on www.quaker.org.uk

Its been running successfully or around 6 months in South Yorkshire and now more volunteers are being sought from all the faith communities and from other sources: consider whether you might be able to get involved.

The scheme is a response to the increasing evidence that emotional loneliness is a primary factor leading to recidivism amongst sexual offenders. An offender whose risk should be positively managed through a personal relapse prevention plan can be marginalized and isolated due to fear.

The main aim is to prevent further sexual abuse, with the objective of ‘no more victims’. This is done by:

• Helping a sexual offender to reintegrate responsibly into the community
• Acting as a support and safety mechanism for the offender and the community
• Enhancing public safety when there is a perceived element of risk

The concept is simple: between four and six volunteers recruited from the community form a ‘Circle’ around an offender. It is a support network for the offender (known as the ‘Core Member’), while holding him/her accountable for his actions and ongoing risk management. Circles work alongside Police and Probation to provide an extra layer to risk reduction strategy.

You can use the link below to make email contact… We will then put you in touch with the organiser of the scheme.

click here to request more details