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 program. 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.’