NEW LOOK AT THE HISPANIC OFFENDER - A PROPOSAL BY THE PUERTO RICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK FOR A STUDY OF HISPANIC PRISONERS

• NCJ Number: 62904
• Author(s): J L TORRES; M R STANSKY
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 51 pages
• Corporate Author: Puerto Rican Bar Assoc of New York
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

PROBLEMS FACED BY HISPANIC OFFENDERS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ARE DISCUSSED, AND A DESIGN FOR A SURVEY OF 200 HISPANIC INMATES AT THE NEW YORK CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION FOR MEN ON RIKERS ISLAND IS PROPOSED.

Abstract

THE SURVEY WILL INVOLVE INTERVIEWS GIVEN BY BILINGUAL LAW STUDENTS TO HISPANIC MISDEMEANANTS AT THE RIKERS ISLAND FACILITY. RESPONDENTS WILL BE ASKED ABOUT THEIR ARREST, ARRAIGNMENT, BAIL, COURT APPEARANCES, LAWYER CONTACTS, PLEA BARGAINING, PRESENTENCING PRONCEDURES, AND JAIL EXPERIENCES. BY COMPARING RESPONDENTS' EXPERIENCES WITH STANDARDS AND ENTITLEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THESE AREAS, RESEARCHERS CAN DETERMINE WHETHER, HOW, AND TO WHAT DEGREE HISPANIC OFFENDERS RECEIVE DISFAVORED TREATMENT. LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHALLENGES TO SERIOUS ABUSES CAN THEN BE UNDERTAKEN. THE SURVEY WILL ALSO MEASURE ENGLISH AND SPANISH-LANGUAGE COMPETENCE TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH LANGUAGE HANDICAPS HINDER HISPANIC OFFENDERS. THIS ASPECT OF THE STUDY WILL ALSO PROVIDE POLICE, COURT, AND CORRECTIONS OFFICIALS WITH A SIMPLE MEANS OF IDENTIFYING HISPANIC OFFENDERS WITH SERIOUS LANGUAGE HANDICAPS. THE SURVEY WILL ALSO INCLUDE A SCALE FOR MEASURING THE ROLE THAT SOCIAL DISCRIMINATION PLAYS IN THE PROBLEMS OF HISPANIC OFFENDERS, AND WHETHER DISCRIMINATION TOWARD HISPANICS IS A MATTER OF RACE OR ETHNIC ORIGIN.