Chastin Martel
Lakeside Leader
Native Counselling Services of Alberta (NCSA) has many offices. Many of them offer court services. What people might not know is that there’s a lot that goes into being a court worker for NCSA.
The Leader caught up with Jean Twin and Shelly Lyons to discuss it. They work as court workers for family and criminal court in Slave Lake. Twin has been a court worker since the 1980s and Lyons has been one for 13 years.
“Gets a little stressful at times, I think, for both of us, but yeah. For the most part, it’s pretty interesting,” says Lyons.
In Slave Lake, the only program offered is the Indigenous court work, says Lyons. Other locations across Alberta cover different programs, such as family reconciliation, Indigenous youth housing and residential school health support. For more programs visit ncsa.ca and select the ‘programs’ tab.
“A lot of places now, there’s just one court worker that does both family and criminal court all by themselves,” says Lyons.
“So we’re lucky enough that we still have two of us that each have our own piece.”
The NCSA started in 1970, says Twin. Chester Cunningham was the one behind it. He worked for the Canadian Native Friendship Centre in Edmonton. During his time there, he attended court and took note that many Indigenous people were pleading guilty just to get their charge dealt with. Many of those people didn’t need to be there.
“Well, do you know that it affects your ability to travel, get jobs, do this, do that, and some of them would say, ah, I’m not gonna travel anyway,” says Twin.
“I’m not a lawyer, so I can’t just speak up for them like the lawyers do,” says Lyons.
People who cannot make their first court date, often ask NCSA to appear for them and ask to put their matter to another date, says Lyons. A lot of the times, it is to stop the unnecessary warrants for missed appearances.
“If it’s a traffic ticket, if they want to plead guilty and get time to pay, we can do that,” says Lyons.
Asked which individuals NCSA helps, Lyons says, “Our government funding is for helping Indigenous clients through the court process.”
As long as you identify as status, Inuit, Métis or have family that identifies as those, you can be helped by NCSA. As for the location aspect, people in the Slave Lake jurisdiction can be helped, says Lyons.
“If their court is in Red Earth or Wabasca, if they live in my jurisdiction, I will help them, I just have to appear with them by Webex (online court).”
Lyons tells The Leader that she has had non-Indigenous people, sometimes immigrants, ask them to help, but due to them not being eligible under their funding, she can only refer them to a justice court worker.
“So people can get a little upset, because why are you not helping us? But there is a government Alberta justice court worker, so I refer them to that person,” says Lyons.
For Twin, it is a different story.
“I don’t really run into any, or too many of them,” she says.
Indigenous people that attend court are often confused on what happens after court, says Lyons. For Twin, she sees the same with Indigenous people.
“They don’t have a clue, because they’ll walk out and say, what happened, what did he say, what did he mean?” says Twin.
For any Indigenous individuals or families that need assistance navigating court, you can contact Lyons and Twin at the office at 780-849-4914. You can reach Lyons by her cell as well at 780-805-6341. Twin’s cell is 780-849-1646.
