NCJ Number
198091
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 64 Issue: 7 Dated: December 2002 Pages: 90-93,139
Editor(s)
Susan L. Clayton M.S.
Date Published
December 2002
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article examines the barriers faced in correctional facilities housing inmates identified as deaf or hard-of-hearing and the accommodations made to meet Federal mandates requiring equal access to prison services, programs, and activities, as well as Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requiring the deaf and hard-of-hearing offenders be provided with effective communication.
Abstract
Deaf offenders are those who have a severe to profound hearing loss and are unable to understand speech without accommodations. There is a vast majority of offenders incarcerated in correctional facilities that are deaf or are hard-of-hearing. Under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, correctional facilities are required to provide deaf and hard-of-hearing inmates with effective communication. Accommodations should be made to provide sign language interpreters, thereby making communication visible. There are several electronic devices available to assist deaf and hard-of-hearing offenders that include: vibrating alarms, TTY equipment, amplification, and television captioning. Correctional institutions need to provide interpreters to these offenders satisfying the visual communication. Failure to do so can lead to serious and significant legal problems for corrections administrators. Several questions need to be answered regarding services of an interpreter: (1) how do you know if an interpreter is necessary; (2) how do you know if the interpreter is qualified; (3) how do you get an interpreter; (4) who will pay for interpreting services; and (5) why not just ask another offender to interpret? An additional accommodation in meeting the communication needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing offenders is the development of proactive policies for population management that consist of (1) grouping offenders with like needs, (2) tracking of disabled offenders, (3) the identification tag or “pass,” (4) handcuffing procedures, and (5) telephone access. The most serious barriers that correctional facilities face in providing accommodations for the deaf and hard-of-hearing are the attitudes and awareness levels of their employees. Without this, assistive equipment will not be used and stereotypes will continue to impede compliance with Federal law.