Funded by the Ministry of the Attorney General the Indigenous Court Worker Program was established as a way to provide opportunities for Indigenous people to gain access to support systems.  It was recognized that, because of cultural differences, a communication barrier existed between Native people and the legal system. The Indigenous Court Worker’s goal is to assist Indigenous people who come in conflict with the law by providing support, liaison services, resources and information on matters relating to the judicial system in order to increase clients understanding of their legal rights, options and responsibilities thereby enabling an effective transition through the judicial system. The Court Worker will collaborate with the client, Lawyers, Duty Counsel, Police, Judges, Crowns, and other related agencies/programs to develop a plan of action that will address the root causes of the client’s behaviour that has brought them before the courts. Frequent and consistent follow up with the client will be required to support and manage their plan of action.

Objectives

• To increase opportunities for individuals to gain awareness and understanding by providing information and guidance on their legal rights and responsibilities regarding justice related matters.
• To increase opportunities for individuals to function within the community by providing counseling, referrals, follow-up and encouragement in order to assist them in becoming contributing members of the community.
• To increase opportunities for Indigenous community members to gain awareness of the judicial process by providing information thereby increasing their understanding for justice related matters.
• To provide opportunities for justice personnel to gain understanding of the unique needs of the Indigenous community in relation to the judicial system.