Ongoing efforts to improve translation services in Delaware's criminal legal system appear poised to make progress in 2023.
One bright spot: Governor John Carney's proposed budget for Delaware’s Office of Defense Services includes funding for the office’s first-ever full-time translator.
In recent years, the Office of Defense Services had only one contract interpreter to work with Spanish-speaking clients. "They handled intakes, did client interviews, interpreted in court, interpreted down at the prison," Chief Defender Kevin O'Connell told the Joint Finance Committee last week.
But O’Connell says one interpreter isn’t enough, telling the Joint Finance Committee last week his office doesn’t have the resources to translate legal documents for clients– including motions filed by their attorney.
"They don’t know what’s in the motions, they don’t know what’s in their letters, unless they have a cellmate or household members who can translate for them," he said. "And that’s just not right. They deserve the same level of service as our English speaking clients."
O’Connell note the Governor’s proposed budget will cover the cost of a full-time interpreter to help expand their office’s services for Spanish-speaking clients.
But both state agencies and nonprofit service providers have struggled to find Haitian Kreyol interpreters to serve growing immigrant communities in Kent and Sussex Counties.
Last week, Delaware Supreme Court Chief Justice Collins Seitz mentioned some progress on that front: this year, Delaware’s courts are offering Spanish and Kreyol translations of many court forms.
