A group of volunteers has set up shop on the sixth floor of provincial court in Windsor in an effort to help Windsor's First Nations population.

"There's a need for our services as court workers, in the court house," said Stephanie Lalonde, a volunteer court worker with the Can-Am Indian Friendship Centre.

Lalonde, who is not native, said there is "a significant overrepresentation" of First Nations in the justice system in Windsor. Court worker programs are offered throughout Ontario but launched in Windsor in June.

'A lot of people come here and don't know what's going on.'— Stephanie Lalonde

"A lot of people come here and don’t know what’s going on. There were no services specific to them," Lalonde said.

Twice a week she sits at a table in the court house. She is surrounded by pamphlets about services available to First Nations people living in Windsor. Her free information includes literature on how to navigate the legal system.

"Our role is to ensure that they, as an aboriginal community, are being treated fairly throughout the process," Lalonde said.

Melanie Garant is a Mohawk and a co-ordinator at the friendship centre and said the court volunteer program also helps steer First Nations people to her and the centre.

Garant said that, according to the census, there are 5,000 First Nations people living in Windsor. She's not sure that number is accurate.

"It's really hard to get a marginalized community, who doesn't come out of the woodwork, on paper, right? Even the people that approach us don't necessarily feel comfortable filling out an in-take form. Sometimes they just want our help," Garant said. "A lot of times they may not have contact with the friendship centre. So their first point of contact may be at the court house and they can direct them here for services."

Lalonde said the program is working.

"The No. 1 reaction from clients is a sense of relief. Even when clients don’t need our service, they’re glad to see someone from their community here helping," Lalonde said.

The Friendship Centre hopes to hire a full-time court worker to replace the volunteers.

"The success of this program depends on acquiring the funding to hire a full-time court worker of aboriginal heritage," Lalonde said. "We want to show what we feel is a very obvious need for it in Windsor."