PR.com<\/a>)–\u00a0Building on her research on the Latino experience in the criminal justice system, Nancy Rodr\u00edguez now is working on creating a solution to accessibility issues for those with language barriers.<\/p>\nThe professor of criminology, law and society\u2019s latest efforts are being funded by a $450,000 grant from the John D. Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.<\/p>\n
\u201cEfforts to reduce disparities and inequality in the justice system must include the limited English proficient (LEP) population,\u201d Rodr\u00edguez says. \u201cCertainly, language barriers have the potential to impact justice system outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rodr\u00edguez and her research team recently produced a policy brief as a result of a previous MacArthur grant project that examined how many Latinos are arrested, detained, and sentenced in courts in select U.S. cities. Those reports showed that local justice systems are not equipped to serve immigrants.<\/p>\n
In her \u201cEstablishing, Implementing, and Maintaining a Language Access Program\u201d report, she surveyed several local criminal justice systems and discovered gaps in the availability of language services for those who are LEP, despite provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that require federally-funded agencies to provide meaningful access to their programs and activities. The report finds that while organizations and agencies within local criminal justice systems often receive federal funding, and are mandated to provide language services, specific practices and the extent to which services are made available in those systems remain relatively unknown.<\/p>\n
According to 2018 estimates, 12 percent of people (about 25.6 million) living in the U.S. are LEP.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe LEP population needs language services to meaningfully access public safety information or request public safety services,\u201d Rodr\u00edguez notes.<\/p>\n
To that end, Rodr\u00edguez will develop a framework for effective language accessibility and ensure that the U.S. Department of Justice is serving the diverse LEP communities throughout the U.S.<\/p>\n
The Justice Department recently launched its Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative (LELAI), a nationwide effort to assist law enforcement agencies in meeting their obligations to provide meaningful language assistance to LEP individuals. The initiative is being led by the Civil Rights Division\u2019s Federal Coordination and Compliance Section and the U.S. Attorneys\u2019 Offices via COPS. LELAI offers guidance on legal obligation to access, appropriate tools and resources, sample access plans, policies, and forms, translated Miranda warnings, information on machine translation, and funding sources for LEP populations.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccess resources are needed and the federal government taking a lead with the LELAI is an important first step,\u201d Rodr\u00edguez says. \u201cHowever, little is known about the proportion of LEP persons in communities, their frequency in the justice system, and the needs of LEP individuals with regard to language access. This information is vital if resources are to be used and be effective on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n
Preliminary work from Professor Rodr\u00edguez shows that system-impacted Spanish-dominant persons prefer particular types of language access services, and unfortunately, experience frequent poor language access assistance.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy bringing together local criminal justice agencies and federal agencies authorized to advance language access, there is an opportunity to create an effective model of language access resources for the LEP population,\u201d Rodr\u00edguez says.<\/p>\n
Her research will produce a report on promising practices associated with language access services and a framework for language access delivery.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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