Re: Funding Cuts - Post 8
We expect all those working in the criminal justice system to be trauma-informed and non-judgmental, practicing empathy and compassion in the best interest of their clients. However, how are they to learn these critical helping skills? Text books alone are never enough. One of our under-appreciated outcomes of our court programs is the fulsome and critical learning opportunity they provide to students who are shaping their skills and navigating their journeys toward their future careers. We have a saying: “Once an EFry-er, always an EFry-er.” This because the lessons we learn from the clients we serve and our experiences in our work at the grassroots level stay with us forever. We know that without our court work, there will be less compassion and empathy in this complex system and far fewer opportunities for students to learn and grow into trauma-informed helpers, advocates, and supportive workers.
Shout out to all the former EFry Students, many of whom are now lawyers, social workers, counsellors, psychologists, police offers, advocates, politicians, community support workers, parole officers, probation officers, and even judges! Can you imagine a world where students might not have this same learning opportunity in our communities?
Please read 2 letters from former summer students and their unique experiences as they grow into their professions.
To whomever it may concern,
My name is Nisreen and I began my journey with the Elizabeth fry society Court Program in 2017 as a Criminology practicum student, I then continued volunteering with the program and eventually returned as their 2020 Summer Student for the Court program. I fell in love with the court program after my first practicum because it showed me the sheer power of empathy and support, I was able to assist and help people who were in much distress due to the overwhelming court experience. Along with that, the court program aided in the smooth facilitation of the court process through coordination, providing information, assisting lawyers, clerks, and duty counsels. The court program has been a catalyst in my career goals, it showed me exactly the kind of work I want to do, and that with empathy and advocacy, we can truly be a part of the healing journey’s of many marginalized communities. The court program allowed me to see my own potential, and gave me the confidence in my work that I am now carrying on to my social work practice.
I have a vivid memory of assisting a woman who did not speak English in family court, family court does not provide interpreters, she was left alone to figure everything out. while I didn’t speak her mother language, I am fluent in Arabic in which she could hold a decent conversation. I assisted her in getting her court date moved and called the Mennonite center for newcomers and got them in contact with her so they could set up an interpreter on an ongoing basis. I remember thinking about what would have happened if I was not there, likely, she would have slipped through the cracks. So many vulnerable populations will feel E-fry’s absence greatly, they come to us for support and guidance and comfort during the all around difficult and distressing court process. They know e-fry is there for them and them only, and you can see how thankful they are for our help. The court program is an integral part of the court houses across the province, and without it, it will be the most vulnerable who experience the biggest loss.
I strongly encourage you to reconsider the funding cuts, and see the great value in the longstanding, amazingly constructed court program.
Nisreen
December 15, 2020
I first began working with this organization at the Edmonton Law Courts in January of 2018, where I was completing my first Criminology field placement through the University of Alberta. Since then, I have continued to volunteer with the adult criminal court program and I was a summer student with the Elizabeth Fry Society in 2020. I have experience working in Adult, Youth, Family & Child Welfare Court, as well as experience at the Case Management Office (CMO).
The Elizabeth Fry Court Program has had an instrumental impact on my life and my future career aspirations. I find myself looking forward to my shift at court because I genuinely love assisting clients. This position allowed me to apply concepts from my degree to the ‘real world’ and witness the overlap between criminalization and victimization of folks in Canada. My time with Elizabeth Fry has solidified my desire to help folks who come in contact with the criminal justice system. I hope to complete a Master’s degree and study the victim-offender overlap because of my experiences with this program. This system is inaccessible to many folks who struggle with addictions, intergenerational trauma and mental health, to name a few. Cutting this program is a blatant disservice to those who fall victim to this system, as they do not have access to other support services due to barriers such as poverty and racism, among many others. It is an understatement to say that I am devastated about the Alberta Law Foundation’s decision to cut funding for the court programs.
It is important to recognize that our clients have experienced extreme victimization by the criminal justice system and continue to endure victimization throughout the court process. Throughout my time with Elizabeth Fry, it has become obvious that these individuals need this program. I have personally observed and heard through clients, the many ways in which our criminal justice system revictimizes and discriminates against marginalized groups in our society. I often say that all law students should complete a placement with the Elizabeth Fry Court Program to gain a greater understanding of their clients and the lived experiences of this population. Not only does this program offer immeasurable services to the vulnerable population of Alberta, it provides staff and volunteers with a greater understanding of the various lived experiences that correspond to ones experience with the criminal justice system. Clients have frequently stated that they would be lost without this program and I feel that they will be if the funding is not restored.
Although I have hundreds of examples that exemplify the importance of this program, there is one client who stands out among the rest. About a year ago, I was volunteering outside of courtroom 356 in Edmonton with another volunteer. This man approached us and stated he would like to speak to duty counsel. When we put him in the chair outside of the courtroom (signifying that he was next to speak to duty counsel), he broke down. This man sat outside of the courtroom for 45 minutes, crying, asking how he got to this point in his life. He stated he was once a young kid who played hockey, got older and had children, and next thing he knew, he was experiencing homeless, addiction and poverty, among many other battles. If our program did not exist, I genuinely do not know what this man would have done. The other volunteer and I were able to calm him down and connected him to services that would benefit him. We were also able to speak to duty counsel and explain the situation. None of this would have occurred if the Elizabeth Fry Program did not exist. This man was before the court on a minor charge. Because of this program, this man was able to receive referrals to programs that could help him and his charges were dropped. Above all, this man had an opportunity to have people listen to him and show him compassion. Compassion is not a word that coincides with the criminal justice system. He cried tears of joy and expressed that good things happen in threes: he got a new pair of shoes the day before, his charges were dropped, and he met us. He felt empowered. This program provides an opportunity for individuals to be heard, feel cared for, and receive genuine assistance. Our clients view staff and volunteers as support systems who they can trust. The Elizabeth Fry Society’s Court Program see their clients as people; not as offenders, criminals, bad-guys, or any other harmful labels that are routinely put upon this population.
To be blunt, I genuinely do not know how the courts will function without the Elizabeth Fry Society. I have always viewed these programs as inseparable from the court system. Without these programs, duty counsel’s will be even more over worked, stressed and confused. There will be no organization for folks who wish to speak to duty counsel (which is often more than 35 people per court room). Clients often get frustrated and impatient but will now have no one to talk to or calm them down. I do not think duty council will be able to help these individuals to the extent that they were able to prior to these cuts. As I mentioned earlier, the vulnerable population is (re)victimized by the court system regularly and this will only worsen with the cuts to the Elizabeth Fry Society. Those who are in desperate need of support will suffer the most. These cuts will create irreversible harm to this community. These individuals deserve to have someone in the court house that they trust.
To reiterate, cutting the Elizabeth Fry Society of Northern Alberta’s court program will cause devastating and lasting harm to Alberta’s most vulnerable population. This program has had an immeasurable impact on my life. The community will suffer immensely from these cuts and will no longer have feel supported throughout their experiences at the court house. Everyone deserves access to legal resources and assistance, regardless of your lived experiences.
Sincerely,
Jenna