CALIFORNIA - REPORT TO THE JUDICIAL COUNCIL ON THE LANGUAGE NEEDS OF NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING PERSONS IN RELATION TO THE STATE'S JUSTICE SYSTEM, PHASE 1 REPORT ANALYSIS OF LANGUAGE NEEDS AND PROBLEMS

• NCJ Number: 34640
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 300 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: California Judicial Council; US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Arthur Young and Co
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AN ANALYSIS OF THE PROBLEMS, BARRIERS, AND NEEDS OF NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING PERSONS RELATIVE TO JUDICIAL, DEFENSE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND CORRECTIONAL PHASES OF THE STATE AND LOCAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.

Abstract

SEVERAL DATA COLLECTION METHODS WERE UTILIZED, INCLUDING QUESTIONNAIRES OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AGENCIES; INTERVIEWS WITH 150 NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING PERSONS AND THEIR ADVOCATES; AND FIVE PUBLIC FORUMS CONCERNING PROBLEMS OF THE NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING PERSON. THIS STUDY DESCRIBES THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS PERTAINING TO LANGUAGE SERVICES, THE LANGUAGE SERVICES PRESENTLY PROVIDED BY CALIFORNIA'S JUSTICE AGENCIES, AND THE PERCEIVED LANGUAGE NEEDS OF NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING PERSONS RELATIVE TO THE STATE'S JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE REPORT ALSO PROVIDES INFORMATION ON THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING PERSONS BY COUNTY AND LANGUAGE IN THE STATE, AND OUTLINES PLANNED ACTIVITIES FOR PHASE TWO OF THE STUDY. THE STUDY FOUND THREE MAJOR AREAS REQUIRING ATTENTION: A NEED FOR AN ADEQUATE NUMBER OF BILINGUAL AND CULTURALLY SENSITIVE PERSONNEL AT EVERY STAGE OF THE JUSTICE PROCESS; A NEED FOR COMPETENT COURTROOM INTERPRETERS; AND A NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT IN THE AVAILABILITY OF ROUTINE AND EMERGENCY LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES WHICH ARE DESIGNED FOR THE USE OF NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING PERSONS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)