Thank you.
Yes, I specifically referred to a program called Circles of Support and Accountability, which is not specifically an aboriginal justice manifestation but one that is consistent with principles I have heard from them. It is a program of the Mennonite Central Committee in Ontario. I consider it a restorative justice program because it brings restoration to perhaps the least approved of offenders in Canada. These are sex offenders, and not just any sex offenders, but high-risk sex offenders of the nature that Mrs. Prober was referring to.
They provide a place in the community where offenders are held accountable for their past and for the risk they present to community. But they are also supported in that they are given the opportunity to change, to move forward, and to become contributing members of society so that there are no more victims and no more horrible stories, as we heard just a few weeks ago about that man who stole two children.
If that man had had a circle of support and accountability, that would not have happened. I can tell you that with some assurance. The success rate, as seen in the study done of the Toronto circles of support and accountability, indicates they are highly effective in stopping recidivism.
But in the government's eyes, and in the eyes of most academics, that would not be considered a restorative justice program, simply because it only deals with the offender and making sure they don't offend again.