NCJ Number
52215
Journal
QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF CORRECTIONS Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (SPECIAL ISSUE 1978) Pages: 42-45
Date Published
1978
Length
4 pages
Annotation
A FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS INTERNSHIP IN 1973 YIELDED INFORMATION ON THE DEMOGRAPHY OF SPANISH-SPEAKING INMATES, BILINGUAL STAFF MEMBERS, AND EDUCATION FOR SPANISH-SPEAKING PRISONERS IN FEDERAL PRISONS.
Abstract
THE INTERN'S INITIAL PROGRAM PLAN INVOLVED TWO SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENTS: THE PREPARATION OF A BIBLIOGRPHY OF SPANISH LANGUAGE MATERIALS THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL IN CORRECTIONAL EDUCATION SITUATIONS AND THE PREPARATION OF A BROCHURE IN SPANISH DESCRIBING EDUCATION AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES GENERALLY AVAILABLE IN FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS. BECAUSE THE SCOPE OF THE INTERNSHIP WAS DEFINED TOO NARROWLY, THE INTERN RECOMMENDED THAT HIS ASSIGNMENT BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE THE COLLECTION OF DEMOGRAPHIC DATA ABOUT FEDERAL LATINO/SPANISH PRISONERS, A REVIEW OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR THIS POPULATION AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF EXEMPLARY PROGRAMS, AND THE COLLECTION OF DATA ON THE EXTENT OF BILINGUAL/CULTURAL STAFF WORKINGS IN FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT SPANISH-SURNAMED PRISONERS COMPRISED APPROXIMATELY 18.5 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS POPULATION. IN SOME INSTITUTIONS WITH HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF SPANISH SURNAMED PRISONERS, THERE WERE FEW SPANISH-SURNAMED STAFF. SPANISH-SPEAKING CASE WORKERS, TEACHERS, AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WERE RELATIVELY RARE IN MOST INSTITUTIONS. FOR THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS AS A WHOLE, ONLY 2.5 PERCENT OF ALL EMPLOYEES WERE ESTIMATED TO BE BILCULTURAL/ BILINGUAL. IN SOME INSTITUTIONS, BILINGUAL PRISONERS WERE EMPLOYED AS TRANSLATORS FOR SPANISH-SPEAKING PRISONERS SEEKING HELP FROM A CASE WORKER, MEDICAL STAFF MEMBER, OR OTHER STAFF MEMBER INVOLVED IN SIGNIFICANT PERSONAL ASSISTANCE RESPONSIBILITIES. THE LEADERSHIP OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS WAS EXTREMELY RECEPTIVE TO THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE INTERN. EFFORTS WERE INITIATED TO INTENSIFY ALREADY EXISTING RECRUITMENT PROGRAMS TO ATTRACT COMPETENT BILINGUAL/ BICULTURAL STAFF. ADDITIONAL EFFORTS WERE MADE TO PROVIDE VOCATIONAL TRAINING MATERIALS IN SPANISH AND TO PROVIDE LEISURE TIME READING MATERIALS, PARTICULARLY NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES, IN SPANISH. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE INTERN ARE AS FOLLOWS: (1) CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO LOCATING A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH COMMON NEEDS IN A SINGLE INSTITUTION; (2) PROGRAM INVOLVEMENT SHOULD NOT BE DENIED BECAUSE AN INDIVIDUAL IS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH; (3) DESIGNATIONS OF SPANISH-SPEAKING PRISONERS SHOULD BE BASED, IN PART, ON THE AVAILABILITY OF BILINGUAL STAFF; (4) VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS SHOULD BE DESIGNATED AS MODEL BILINGUAL/BICULTURAL INSTITUTIONS; AND (5) A QUALIFIED BILINGUAL/BICULTURAL STAFF MEMBER SHOULD BE EMPLOYED AT THE CENTRAL OFFICE OF AN INSTITUTION TO HANDLE THE TRANSLATION OF SPANISH CORRESPONDENCE, POLICY STATEMENTS, AND OTHER SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS. (DEP)