NCJ Number
227545
Date Published
December 2006
Length
31 pages
Annotation
Results are presented on a study providing a broad understanding of the potential impact of providing criminal justice services to the growing population of Hispanics and Latinos in North Carolina.
Abstract
Findings from this study are that North Carolina's communities are experiencing demographic changes with increases in the Hispanic population. As this population has grown at an unanticipated rate, criminal justice agencies have been forced to adapt to these changes. However, today, with limited resources to provide special assistance for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) individuals, communities have struggled to communicate effectively. As outreach by local criminal justice agencies increases to win the trust of the Hispanic and Latino population, more victims, witnesses, and offenders will confront members of the criminal justice community. Therefore, it is imperative that standards for the communities be set so no agency is caught in a potentially discriminatory position. Many of the recommendations from this study are for the State to provide guidance for the criminal justice agencies and non-profits who receive Federal and State funding. The growth in North Carolina's Hispanic population has far outpaced projections from a decade ago. The goal of this study was to focus attention on accepting that the face of North Carolina was changing and understanding that much could be done to ensure that the criminal justice system was doing its best to meet the needs of all with regard to English proficiency or national origin. A 13 question survey was designed to assess the impact that the rapidly growing Hispanic and Latino populations pose on North Carolina's criminal justice related agencies' ability to provide services. Maps, charts, tables, appendixes A-C, and references