Resources / A multiagency collaborative effort to address parental language barriers and disproportionate minority contact
Home / ResourcesA multiagency collaborative effort to address parental language barriers and disproportionate minority contact

Home

/

Resources

Home

Resources

A multiagency collaborative effort to address parental language barriers and disproportionate minority contact

11/01/2009 Rodolfo Estrada, Susan Shah

When children have contact with law enforcement, particularly if they are arrested, they can end up deeper than necessary in the justice system if their parents face language barriers. This paper chronicles the efforts of a multiagency work group that included the Vera Institute of Justice and sought to help limited English proficient parents understand their role and participate if their child is involved in the justice system—regardless of the language they speak. The paper provides an overview of disproportionate minority contact of youth and concerns related to language barriers, describes how the work group developed its multilingual guide for parents, and provides an overview of lessons learned.