Ensuring Access to Justice For Non-English Speaking Persons in Iowa’s Courts Recommendations of the Court Interpreter Policies Advisory Group, October 8, 2001

(2001) Ensuring Access to Justice For Non-English Speaking Persons in Iowa’s Courts Recommendations of the Court Interpreter Policies Advisory Group, October 8, 2001. Judicial Branch

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Abstract

In the past two decades a new wave of immigrants has transformed the racial and ethnic landscape in many parts of the U.S. The wave has even rippled through Iowa. For example, recent census data show the number of Hispanic or Latino residents grew from 32,647 in 1990 to 82,473 in 2000 (a 153 percent increase); the Asian population rose by 46 percent;1 and although there are no census data on Bosnian and Sudanese immigrants, there was also significant growth in their numbers in Iowa in the past decade. The new wave of immigrants in Iowa has also brought a significant increase in the number of court cases involving non-English speaking litigants. A survey of Iowa judges and court administrators suggests that in the past five years the demand for Spanish interpreters has increased by an average of 57 percent. (See Appendix 2A.) The increase has varied from about 10 percent to more than 70 percent, depending on the district.2 These observations are consistent with data from the Iowa Division of Inspections and Appeals (IDIA), which pays the costs of court interpreters in cases involving indigent criminal defendants.