First "Circle" for Sex Offenders
Quaker News

Quaker endeavour for the rehabilitation of sex offenders is having an effect. The Hampshire Probation Service is setting up a 'Circles of Support and Accountability' pilot scheme for three years. This involves trained volunteers helping released offenders to overcome their isolation and stay out of trouble. All volunteers are supported by probation or police and the scheme has Home Office funding of £27,000 a year.

Last summer the Quaker Crime and Community Justice Committee brought together professionals from the probation service, prisons, parole, psychology, the police, the churches and organisations representing victims to hear about the concept of 'circles'. The committee had heard of the idea through Friends in Canada, where the scheme is operating with very low rates of re-offending from former prisoners.

Helen Drewery of Quaker Peace & Social Witness said: 'We are delighted this is happening. We are also getting many requests for people to speak about circles, from people as varied as Salford Council and Junior Yearly Meeting.'

QPSW will be more directly involved in running circles later this year if a funding proposal made to the Home Office in March is successful. The suggested project would involve three new QPSW staff running a scheme in partnership with the Church of England and with police and probation services in the Thames Valley region.