By Aaron Hemens \u00a0Local Journalism Initiative Reporter\u00a0 \u00a025\/07\/2024\u00a0 Indigenous people involved in the criminal justice system who require legal guidance from a Native Courtworker at the \u201cKamloops\u201d courthouse are currently without on-site support. Sources say the office has been vacant since the beginning of the month, with no clear timetable on when the Native Courtworker position will be filled, or if it will even resume. Speculation around funding and restructuring have left its future uncertain. Connie Allen had been serving as the Native Courtworker for \u201cKamloops\u201d and \u201cMerritt\u201d in an interim role since November, working with around 80 clients over a period of seven months. By the time her tenure concluded at the end of June, she was still in the midst of supporting nearly 30 people, she said. \u201cThe… <\/p>\n
By Aaron Hemens \u00a0Local Journalism Initiative Reporter\u00a0 \u00a025\/07\/2024\u00a0 Indigenous people involved in the criminal justice system who require legal guidance from a Native Courtworker at the \u201cKamloops\u201d courthouse are currently without on-site support. Sources say the office has been vacant since the beginning of the month, with no clear timetable on when the Native Courtworker position will be filled, or if it will even resume. Speculation around funding and restructuring have left its future uncertain. Connie Allen had been serving as the Native Courtworker for \u201cKamloops\u201d and \u201cMerritt\u201d in an interim role since November, working with around 80 clients over a period of seven months. By the time her tenure concluded at the end of June, she was still in the midst of supporting nearly 30 people, she said. \u201cThe... <\/p>\n