Spanish-Speaking People and the North American Criminal Justice System (From Criminal Justice and Latino Communities, P 185-205, 1995, Antoinette S. Lopez, ed. - See NCJ-168536)

• NCJ Number: 168546
• Author(s): B J Bondavalli; B Bondavalli
• Date Published: 1995
• Length: 21 pages
• Sale Source: Garland Publishing, Inc.
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

Issues affecting Spanish-speaking criminal defendants are examined, with emphasis on data collection, police-community relations, language, inadequate correctional programming and treatment, and the need for improved multicultural training of criminal justice personnel.

Abstract

People of Spanish origin accounted for 4.4 percent of the total population in the 1970 census. Their income and educational levels are below average; residing in an unfamiliar culture deprives them of the familiar cues and controls of the subtle, unspoken conventions learned from childhood. However, accurate statistics do not exist regarding the amount of crime in the Spanish-speaking community. Nevertheless, the available information indicates the need for considerable improvement in the handling of Spanish-speaking offenders. Spanish-heritage individuals are often distrustful of law enforcement personnel, and law enforcement personnel often misunderstand and sometimes mistreat Hispanic suspects. Some appellate courts and legislatures have held that non-English-speaking defendants need interpreters, but the United States Supreme Court has not ruled on the rights of these defendants. Programs are also needed to meet the needs of Spanish-heritage individuals for correctional programming and therapy. All these issues need to be confronted and resolved. List of cases and 40 references