THE PURPOSE OF THE REPORT IS THREEFOLD: TO REVIEW THE MAJOR FINDINGS OF A STUDY WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO EXAMINE THE SPECIAL NEEDS AND PROBLEMS OF BILINGUAL INTERPRETERS IN THE CRIMINAL COURTS OF NEW JERSEY; TO DISCUSS THE MAJOR ISSUES UNCOVERED IN THE STUDY RELATIVE TO A PLAN TO DEVELOP AN ORGANIZED, STATEWIDE PROGRAM OF PROFESSIONAL BILINGUAL INTERPRETERS FOR USE IN THE COURT SYSTEM; AND TO REVIEW THE MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS, TOGETHER WITH THE RATIONALES BEHIND THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, FOR THE STATE PLAN. FROM A SURVEY, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE MAJOR LIMITATIONS OF COURT INTERPRETER SERVICES ARE: INADEQUATE TRAINING OF THE INTERPRETERS, NON-AVAILABILITY OF INTERPRETERS WHEN NEEDED, FINANCIAL BASE INADEQUATE TO SUPPORT NEEDED SERVICES, AND INSUFFICIENT NUMBERS EVEN IN THE LARGER COUNTIES TO PROVIDE SERVICES AT EACH POINT IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESS. THE STUDY ALSO UNCOVERED THE FACT THAT BILINGUAL INTERPRETER SERVICES ARE NEEDED IN A MUCH GREATER NUMBER OF CIVIL CASES COMPARED WITH CRIMINAL CASES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)...KAP