Language Access Committee
This committee focuses on efforts to secure the rights, constitutional and otherwise, of persons who, because of non-English speaking cultural background or physical impairment, are unable to understand or communicate adequately in the English language when they appear in the courts or are involved in court proceedings. Its duties include:
Develop statewide policy recommendations and a statewide language access plan, conduct a statewide needs assessment; and provide oversight of the implementation of policy and procedures through appropriate performance measures. Review statutes, rules, and statewide publications and recommend any necessary amendments.
Review current data collection processes, identify reporting needs and desirable data elements for incorporation into future data collection processes and systems.
Develop methods and materials to increase court interpreter recruitments, including relationships with universities to target language students, and partnering with other organizations (legal community, schools, hospitals, other governmental entities, etc.) to increase interpreter participation and job opportunities.
Develop additional training opportunities such as an increased number of annual training and testing cycles for court interpreters, a mentoring program for newly certified court interpreters, trainings for judges and court staff on the language access plan and cultural competency, and training on language access services for the Bar and others in the legal community, including litigants.
Enhance public outreach by developing information on accessing language services for public distribution, including the Court's website, and signage in local courthouses.
Review and consider national standards for language access in the courts, including the national white paper on remote interpreting, and develop standards for use in Idaho. Research and identify other technologies that may provide for efficiencies in language access services. Identify and prioritize documents for translation into Spanish, in conjunction with statewide efforts to standardize forms, and review policies and practices for translating forms.