NCJ Number
186714
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 62 Issue: 7 Dated: December 2000 Pages: 84-88
Date Published
December 2000
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article examines ways to communicate with offenders who have little or no facility with the English language.
Abstract
The article describes ways to explain to limited- and non-English-speaking offenders the processes related to incarceration, court procedures, rights, options, and inmate services. Written translations have the advantage that procedures can be explained to both offenders and their families and friends. The process is also a good way to involve limited- or non-English-speaking inmates in library literacy programs. However, written translations are a time-consuming way to communicate. Other methods to better facilitate two-way communications with offenders using multiple languages include on-site interpretation, both simultaneous and consecutive; telephonic interpretation; videoconferencing; and tape transcription. Spoken language technology, not yet widely used by law enforcement, involves speaking into a computer, the computer then translates the input into another language and generates output in that language. Somewhat less sophisticated is the Voice Response Translator, which sounds out preprogrammed phrases in various languages to elicit desired responses in both routine and emergency situations involving non-English speakers. References