Research and Journal Articles

The Volunteers provided the boost I needed to help build my confidence and knowing they were there for me during some significant changes (licence ending, getting a job and the pandemic) really made all the difference to me.

The Core Member went from being initially very shy and reserved to quickly gaining in trust and being able to be open and honest with us about his risk management and mental health / self-harm concerns

[The Core Member] made mistakes during the course of the Circle, but I think we were reasonably able to discuss those mistakes without seeming accusatory or judgmental. In that sense, I think the Circle helped show him that reoffending wasn’t the only future life path available.

Excellent training, really good mix of interactive anecdotes and practical information. I feel confident at the thought of working in a Circle. Thank you very much.

Circles ReBoot Evaluation. Findings from a Feasibility Study on Circles ReBoot.
Hannah K. Bradshaw Prof Derek Perkins Dr Hannah L. Merdian September 2023

Circles of Support and Accountability have been found to reduce risk and increase compliance with registration requirements
In Sexual Offending Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (October 2021).

A Rounded Approach: Riana Taylor on Circles UK
R Taylor, (2021). The Friend.

The impact of COVID-19 on Circles of Support and Accountability.
Rosie Kitson-Boyce, Robin J. Wilson, Kieran McCartan, Mechtild Höing, Riana Taylor, Isotta Rossoni, (pages 29 – 38).
In Howard league for Penal Reform ECAN Bulleting, Issue 46, (March 2021)

UK National Evaluation of Big Lottery Funded Circles of Support and Accountability
Professor Belinda Winder, Associate Professor Nicholas Blagden, Dr Rebecca Lievesley, Michelle Dwerryhouse, Dr Rosie Kitson-Boyce, Helen Elliott (March 2020)

What Do Victim/Survivors of Sexual Violence Think about Circles of Support and Accountability?
Kelly Richards, Jodi Death, Carol Ronken, (25 November 2020)

An exploratory study of the experiences of a small sample of men convicted of sexual offences who have reoffended after participating in prison-based treatment
Institute of Criminology University of Cambridge (July 2018).

‘Why Wouldn’t You Have a Circle?’ An Evaluation of the Glebe House Circles Pilot
Dr J Dominey, Professor G Boswell. Institute of Criminology, Cambridge University (July 2018).

A prison-model of CoSA: the potential to offer “through the gate” support and accountability
Rosie Kitson-Boyce, Nicholas Blagden, Belinda Winder, Gayle Dillo. Journal of Sexual Aggression (August 2018).

Minnesota Circles of Support and Accountability (MnCoSA) at 50: Updated Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial
Grant Duwe. Minnesota Department of Corrections (February 2018)

Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA): a case file review of two pilots
Ministry of Justice Study (2014).

Assessing the impact of Circles of Support and Accountability on the reintegration of adults convicted of sexual offences in the community
T Thomas, D Thompson, S Karstedt, (2014).
Centre for Criminal Justice Studies, School of Law, University of Leeds

Circles of Support and Accountability: Consideration of the feasibility of pilots in Scotland.
S Armstrong, Y Chistyakova, S Mackensie, M Malloch, (2008). The Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research.

The exclusion inclusion spectrum in state and community responses to sex offenders in Anglo-American and European jurisdictions.
M Petrunick, L Deutschmann, (2007). International Journal Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Volume 52, pp 499 -519

Evaluating the effectiveness of professionally-facilitated volunteerism in the community-based management of high-risk sexual offenders: part one – effects on participants and stakeholders.
R Wilson, J Picheca, M Prinzo (2007). The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, Volume 46, Issue 3, pp 289-302,

Evaluating the effectiveness of professionally-facilitated volunteerism in the community-based management of high-risk sexual offenders: part two – a comparison of recidivism rates.
R Wilson, J Picheca, M Prinzo (2007). The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, Volume 46, Issue 4 pp 327-337.

Circles of Support and Accountability: an evaluation of the pilot project in South-Central Ontario, Correctional Services of Canada.
R Wilson, J Picheca, M Prinzo (2005). The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, Volume 46, Issue 1, pp 1-15.

Managing unacceptable risk: sex offenders community response and social policy in the United States and Canada.
M Petrunik, (2002). International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Volume 46, pp 483-511