Windsor and Essex County Mennonites trying to navigate their way through the complexities of the legal system may find more understanding ears listening to their problems thanks to the work of a UWindsor student who spent her summer learning about the justice system and offering ways to increase cultural sensitivity to vulnerable communities.
“There’s a lot of misunderstanding and misconceptions about Mennonites within the justice system,” said Tawnie Grayer, who enters her second year of the four-year Master of Social Work/Juris Doctor program this fall. “A lack of cultural sensitivity creates distance between the justice system and ordinary citizens, but justice belongs to everyone.”
Grayer spent her social work field placement at the Ministry of Community Safety & Correctional Services’ probation and parole office in Leamington. She attended court hearings, counselled clients, conducted intake interviews and case summaries. She also used standard tools to make recommendations about the level of supervision offenders required and suggested interventions to reduce recidivism.
Some of her clients were Mennonites, who due to a combination of their own cultural norms and the often confusing nature of the justice system, may have struggled to comply with their court orders. Having grown up in nearby Harrow, Grayer was familiar with Mennonite customs. So she took what she already knew, combined it with the research she conducted with her clients and a representative of the Mennonite Central Committee and a hefty amount of reading, and then prepared a presentation about Mennonites to help the Leamington parole officers better understand the community. The presentation, among other things, covered Mennonite history as well as their core beliefs and values.
“The goal was to improve relationships between the Mennonite and justice communities and promote anti-oppressive practice,” said Grayer, who earned her undergraduate degree in Women’s Studies and Communication, Media and Film. “Many people in minority communities have well-founded mistrust of justice system. Without taking the time to understand the history of a community and its fears, you may be less effective in reducing recidivism.”
Grayer’s mid-July presentation was so well received by upper management in the Leamington office that they recommended she deliver it to parole officers in the Windsor office too. She did that in early August.
“She did a fantastic job,” said Michelle Pope, the assistant area manager in the ministry’s Windsor office. “It was very well researched and it was very well received. We have our minds turned towards diversity issues here and it was very useful to have that information. She was terrific.”
Grayer said her summer experience was excellent and gave her a great deal of preparation for the second year of her academic program, but perhaps more importantly, provided her with a sense that she made a small contribution to the greater good.
“It’s overwhelming sometimes when you think about the difference you can make as an individual,” she said.
The MSW/JD program will provide her with the credentials to practice social work or law, however, she still hasn’t settled on one or the other.
“Somewhere I’ll be working with vulnerable populations facing systemic barriers. I know I’ll do that. I hate injustice.”
Editor's note: this is one of a series of articles about students from across campus who were engaged in cool research projects and other activities during the summer.