Court Support

The Elizabeth Fry Society of Northwestern Ontario’s Court Support Program uses a comprehensive approach to assist individuals in the legal system. This includes proactive outreach and prevention of administrative charges through court docket surveys, is low-barrier, uses gendered approaches, and collaboration with community partners. The program also focuses on safety planning and individual advocacy, communication with legal representatives, a continuum of services connecting individuals with resources, court navigation, and family reunification efforts. 

Strategies to reduce recidivism involve positive community connections and collaboration with organizations addressing the root causes of criminalization. The program applies trauma-informed and culturally sensitive practices, offers assistance with legal aid and representation, promotes knowledge and empowerment, and recognizes historical gender disparities in the legal system. Advocacy efforts extend to addressing the gendered nature of violence, understanding trauma’s impact, and advocating for marginalized communities. Overall, the program aims for systemic change and decriminalization, particularly the over-incarceration of Indigenous women and humans rights issues faced by 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals in incarcerated spaces. 

The EFSNWO Court Support Program addresses the specific needs of women and gender-diverse individuals who often fall through the cracks of existing support systems. It is the only court support program in the community that is specifically made by and for women and gender-diverse people, recognizing the complexities in how women+ enter the criminal justice system.  It is low-barrier and is made specifically for vulnerable individuals who often cannot access traditional services.

We offer a unique and unconventional approach to court support that involves a component of outreach.  The Court Support Navigator reaches out to individuals seen on the dockets to offer support.  When needed, we utilize community partner organizations to assist with contacting the individual in cases where they are living transiently.  We also have a dedicated team of front-line staff who assist with connecting.

We decided to take this approach upon seeing the disproportionate amount of administrative charges on women and gender-diverse people in the community; a signal of systemic failures.  This approach has proven to be remarkably effective in preventing and reducing administrative charges, such as failures to appear, by offering community support.  By intervening at this crucial juncture, we are addressing systemic issues within the legal process that disproportionately affect vulnerable individuals.  Crimes of survival are the main factor in charges for women and gender-diverse individuals. EFSNWO has the opportunity to collaborate with other agencies to work on the decriminalization of this population, acting as a tool of change in addition to providing service.

Important Note: The program does not offer legal advice and is not a substitute for advice from a lawyer.