NCJ Number
168845
Journal
Crime & Justice International Volume: 13 Issue: 6 Dated: July 1997 Pages: 21-23
Date Published
July 1997
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The criminal justice system, particularly law enforcement, is responsible for providing equal services to all people in all communities, yet an increasing segment of the population comes from different cultures and speaks different languages from those responsible for providing services.
Abstract
Immigrants to the United States may adhere to customs that can cause social friction and may even be classified as crime. Additionally, customs change over time as new arrivals from different values are assimilated into the general population of the United States. Law enforcement agencies need to be sensitive to cultural changes that indicate where individual community values want policing resources placed. Education and training are being provided by some criminal justice practitioners to sensitize them to cultural differences in the communities they serve. Several solutions have been devised to meet challenges posed by different languages, including the establishment of a language center, the Communication and Language Line used by AT&T, and Point Talk cards that contain key phrases in languages most prominent in a particular community. 2 llustrations