Manitoba announces change to program helping Indigenous people navigate justice system
A program aimed to help Indigenous people navigate the justice system is transitioning from the province to Indigenous organizations.
The Indigenous Court Work Program, previously known as the Aboriginal Court Work Program, was established in Canada to help Indigenous people navigate the court system, including offering translation services.
On Tuesday, the Province of Manitoba announced it is signing service delivery agreements to transfer the program to four Indigenous agencies: Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), Southern Chiefs' Organization (SCO), Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), and the Island Lake Tribal Council (ILTC).
“Having our organization deliver these vital services within the justice system supports the accused and their families through an often unsettling process as a case winds its way through the courts,” MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee said in a news release from the province.
The province said so far it has signed service delivery agreements with MKO, SCO, and MMF. It is anticipating a final agreement with ILTC will be completed in the near future.
The transition will allow for work connecting Indigenous people to resource agencies and victim services, as well as assistance for the families of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and LGBTQ2S+ people to continue under Indigenous organizations.
“We know that supporting Indigenous-led solutions is imperative to making meaningful progress on the path to reconciliation, and we look forward to ongoing meaningful reciprocal and respectful relationships that ensure appropriate services and supports are being delivered,” Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen said in the release.
Goertzen, along with Chief Judge Margaret Wiebe said Indigenous people are overrepresented in the province’s justice system.
The province says work to transition began in 2021. Over the next two years, the provincial and federal government will be giving grants totalling more than $1 million to the four organizations to help them transition.
“I am pleased these supports are no longer out of reach but are being made readily available through a co-ordinated support system that includes SCO community justice workers,” SCO Grand Chief Jerry Daniels said.
A spokesperson from the province said transitional supports will continue until the organizations’ programs are fully staffed and operational. They also said community contribution agreements and relationships between the organizations will continue as the federal and provincial agreement evolves.
“(It) impacts on not only the individuals but the families and the community. And so in that sense it will be a win-win situation,” MMF Justice Minister Julyda Lagimodiere said.
Lagimodiere expects it will take time to identify what supports Métis people working with the program will need.
The province says between 2020 and 2021, more than 4,300 people were assisted through the Indigenous Court Workers Program. The province expects that number to grow once the partnering organization’s programs are up and running.
The program has been running for more than 40 years. Similar programs are run in most Canadian provinces and all territories, with most regions contracting Indigenous agencies.
Jarred Baker is the executive director of Onashowewin, an organization working with people who are and are not part of the court system. He said Onashowewin focusses on restorative justice and addressing root causes of crime.
“We’re sort of opening doors,” Baker said. “We work with the community member to go through workshops and change behaviour so in the future there’s no recidivisms. It’s just to give someone a second chance.”
Onashowewin works with nearly two thousand people a year. Baker wants to see systems work together to address systemic issues that could lead to crime.
“You talk about CFS, you talk about the education system, the medical system – all of these are failing our Indigenous people.”
He said they are all intertwined – and need to communicate with each other to find ways to help Indigenous people.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6973063.1721671746!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Kamala Harris endorsement excites Democrats, but what could it mean for Canada?
U.S. President Joe Biden's endorsement of Vice-President Kamala Harris as his possible replacement stirred excitement among Democrats, but one analyst has concerns about what a potential Harris presidency would mean for Canada.
Four suicides in New Zealand linked to Ontario's Kenneth Law
New Zealand's coroner has ruled that four of its citizens died after ordering products from an Ontario man who is facing murder charges for selling poisonous substances.
Who's number two? Four leading Democrats emerge as a possible running mate for Kamala Harris
No one knows the importance of selecting the right running mate better than Vice President Kamala Harris.
'We failed,' says Secret Service director grilled on Trump assassination attempt
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said Monday that her agency failed in its mission to protect former President Donald Trump during a highly contentious congressional hearing with lawmakers of both major political parties demanding she resign over security failures that allowed a gunman to scale a roof and open fire at a campaign rally.
Feds pledge free government document replacements for those impacted by wildfires
The federal government is promising to replace some official documents free of charge for Canadians impacted by this year's wildfire season.
Do you want to be happier? Here are 5 habits to adopt
If you look around at your friends and family — and even at yourself — it is apparent that some people perceive the glass to be half full, while others view it as half empty. Which habits can you adopt to increase your level of happiness? A social psychologist has these five tips.
Caught in 4K: Sask. men charged after poaching revealed in YouTube video
Two men in northern Saskatchewan were recently found guilty of multiple hunting violations after authorities discovered a YouTube video showing the crimes.
Prince George is 11 -- see his birthday photo
Prince George has turned 11, and as per tradition his proud parents have released an official portrait to mark the occasion.
Police identify body of man who washed ashore on Nova Scotia's Sable Island
Nova Scotia RCMP has identified one of the bodies found on Sable Island earlier this month.