Families are important to offenders. However, many sex offenders offend within their family and, therefore, have a hard time returning to their family without getting into trouble with victims, the Children's Aid Society, the police and the Service. Offenders need to understand that while they have had time to deal with things, their families might not have. This is especially true for children who were victims, who likely have not had treatment. Institutional staff would be well advised to inform offenders that they may not get to see their family immediately, especially family members from out of town.
Some offenders have to be careful about how they handle family reconciliation.
This can be particularly difficult if the National Parole Board has stipulated that no contact be made between the offender and certain family members. For instance, an incest offender may be permitted to have contact with some family members, but not the victim. This can be difficult if the victim lives in the same house as the other family members. Offenders need to understand the controlling factors in reconciliation, especially for victim understanding and empathy. Jobs are hard to find, even for people without criminal records.