Note:
This awardee has received supplemental funding. This award detail page includes information about both the original award and supplemental awards.
Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2015, $250,000)
The Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) initiative emerged in Canada in the 1990s as a community-based, restorative justice movement that focuses on the need to engage the community in the reintegration process. In FY 2012, the SMART Office selected two project sites, Durham, NC and Multnomah County, OR, and a training and technical assistance provider to support its Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management: Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) program. COSA projects are now underway or in progress in California, Colorado, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Vermont.
The SMART Office FY 15 Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management: Applying Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) in Indian Country Training and Technical Assistance program focuses on providing training and technical assistance to tribal jurisdictions interested in developing a holistic healing program for those affected by crime through providing support for the victim, encouraging responsibility for the offender, and facilitating changes designed to minimize the risk of future abuse. This program encourages the entire tribal community affected by the abuse to be involved in changing the norms that may contribute to abuse. This program focuses on providing training and technical assistance to a tribal jurisdictions interested in developing COSA-type initiatives in tribal communities.
Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) will provide targeted training and technical assistance to the Santo Domingo Tribe under the SMART FY 15 Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management: Applying Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) in Indian Country Project Sites, and will facilitate roundtable discussions between the Tribal Circles of Support and Accountability COSA grantee with Robin Wilson and Andrew McWhinnie whom have participated in the development of COSA programs in Canada and the United States. The discussions will uncover similarities and differences, and resources required and barriers to the COSA model and implementation. FVTC will also provide Santo Domingo Tribe and the SMART Office access to experts with experience implementing traditional restorative justice programs in tribal communities. Further, FVTC aims to develop and provide training sessions and technical assistance activities to the selected Tribal grantee to include sex offender risk assessments. Additionally, FVTC will assist the grantee in collecting data on sex offenders including services provided, positive improvements in behavior, and recidivism rates. ca/nfc