Q&A
Language access services used by CCHR
1:32:40
·
3 min
Council Member Williams inquires about the language access services used by CCHR. Deputy Commissioners Katherine Carroll and JoAnn Kamuf Ward discuss the various language services and capabilities within the commission.
- CCHR uses a combination of in-house language skills and a private dial-in translation service
- The commission has seen an uptick in intakes conducted in languages other than English
- CCHR staff collectively speak around 20-26 languages
- Trainings are offered in multiple languages, including Spanish, English, Mandarin, and Arabic
Nantasha M. Williams
1:32:40
And just a quick question.
1:32:43
I was thinking about this before I went on my whole tangent about this incoming administration.
1:32:50
The access to language that you have, is it like the that language bank that all agencies have access to?
1:32:57
Is something different?
1:32:58
Okay.
1:32:58
Because I've heard a lot of my colleagues who are, like, strong advocates for language access in New York City talk a lot about that particular program and how ineffective it is.
1:33:09
So I was just wondering, like, what is the language access service that you all have?
1:33:14
And is it, like, truly robust around different dialects?
1:33:17
I know you mentioned Wolof, which is, like, amazing, because I know that's been a big thing with the new migrants and getting access to services in their language, but just wondering if you could share a little bit more about, like, what that is.
Katherine Carroll
1:33:32
Sure.
1:33:33
So there are, I think, 2 pieces depending on the type of work we're doing.
1:33:36
So for the law enforcement bureau, in the last year
Hillary Scrivani
1:33:41
in
Katherine Carroll
1:33:41
our annual report, we had an uptick in the number of intakes we had conducted in languages other than English.
1:33:46
And we rely on the language services we have in house for staff attorneys that speak additional languages besides English as well as a private company that is a dial in service.
1:33:57
But as we need, I don't I don't know that we've had a circumstance where we've looked for a language in that capacity and been unable to find it through the service that we work with, then when in terms of trainings, I don't know if you wanna talk
Nantasha M. Williams
1:34:11
about that.
1:34:12
Service is the phone service?
1:34:15
Yes.
1:34:15
Okay.
1:34:16
Yes.
1:34:16
That is a service that I've heard many of my colleagues complain about.
1:34:21
So I don't know if you guys have any issues with that service.
1:34:25
Is that has that service been helpful?
Katherine Carroll
1:34:30
It's the service we use is is better than nothing, and it's I I've it's having a phone conversation, phone translation is never gonna be as good as having an in person translator.
1:34:41
But it does allow us to be nimble in being relatively responsive to when someone reaches out to us, we can have that conversation immediately rather than needing to have someone come in.
1:34:52
And as we move cases to trial and there's more involved, conversations happening in other languages, Oath does use in person translators for the trials to make sure that nothing's lost in translation there.
Nantasha M. Williams
1:35:05
K.
1:35:06
That was a nice political way to say, like, kinda, sorta.
1:35:09
It's decent, so I'm kinda, sorta not.
JoAnn Kamuf Ward
1:35:13
But I do I mean, I'll just add.
1:35:14
I think, the the largest language is that we see outside of English is Spanish.
1:35:20
We have a a lot of staff that speak Spanish.
1:35:23
So, and we have staff that speak, I think, it's 26 languages.
1:35:28
We can get back to you on that exactly.
1:35:31
But we also, outside of the the law enforcement intake process, have a lot of ways to, to engage with members of the public in other languages.
1:35:39
And our trainings are in most of them now are in Spanish and English, but we also have trainings that are in Mandarin and Arabic.
1:35:48
And so we are able to formally reach people with our full materials in a number of languages, separate than than the language.
Nantasha M. Williams
1:35:55
You said 26 languages spoken among CCHR staff?
JoAnn Kamuf Ward
1:36:00
It is around that number.
1:36:01
I don't quote me on 26.
1:36:03
It hovers between 20
Nantasha M. Williams
1:36:05
speak said language like, how many people speak another language outside of English at CCHR?
1:36:11
How many staffers?
JoAnn Kamuf Ward
1:36:12
That is a great question that I do not have the answer.
1:36:15
I don't have the answer right now.
1:36:16
There are peep some people who speak 3 to 4 languages, and then we have a lot of dual language speakers.
Nantasha M. Williams
1:36:23
Do they get extra pay for, like, speaking different languages?
JoAnn Kamuf Ward
1:36:28
I do not have the answer to that question.
