NCJ Number
190592
Journal
Criminal Justice Policy Review Volume: 12 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2001 Pages: 183-196
Date Published
September 2001
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study examined participation of immigrant victims in the criminal justice system.
Abstract
The increased diversity of the U.S. population poses special challenges to the criminal justice system. High levels of immigration require that law enforcement and court organizations understand the concerns of crime victims who are recent immigrants, and facilitate meaningful access to the justice system. Using survey methodology, the study described the barriers that immigrants encounter in accessing justice, as they emerged from the responses of police chiefs and prosecutors in the 50 largest cities of the United States. Criminal justice officials believed that failure to report crimes and to cooperate in their prosecution was a significant problem, especially for domestic violence offenses. Study results suggested that many metropolitan areas have made some efforts to promote participation of immigrant victims in the criminal justice system. But, there are still many obstacles in gauging crime and accurately reporting rates among immigrant communities, not the least of which are language difficulties, mistrust of authorities, residences without telephones, and multiple families living in one house or apartment. The study concluded that far more needs to be done to ensure immigrants' access to a uniform system of justice. Tables, references