Nesmuth

Folks,

A highly aggressive communication service company in Utah has been causing
severe shortages of sign language interpreters in many cities and states by
pulling them away from the deaf communities that need them. They been doing that without creating any means of replacing them at the local levels.

Meanwhile, the California Governor had been expressing interest in rehabilitating prisoners so they can land in productive jobs when released.

Prisoners with all the time on their hands and no distractions can learn
to become qualified sign language interpreters in half the time it takes
a non-prisoner to become one.

I think we have uncovered a large pool of potential sign language interpreters
that could be tapped to meet the shortages created by the Utah based
company. Most prisons already have classrooms that could be used to teach
sign language. We already have the support of a Texas interpreting agency
trying to expand their base.

Our agency has been working with people who has the capacity of training
prisoners to provide services to the deaf and disabled. The possibility of
creating an interpreting agency using prisoners has taken strong interest
because it can bring tremendous savings to state agencies seeking compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Richard Roehm
CEO
Http://www.deafadvocacy.org

Deafness

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Nusentinsaino

Prisonors? I dont mean to be stereotypical about this but many people would not be able to trust a criminal espectially who is in prison. How can the agenies trust the prisonors into being an interpretender and go to school or a public area for translation? Wont they need an enforcer around them? lol?

Nesmuth

Security issues have been adressed with Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) using prisoners as they stay in prisons and all communications from them will be monitored for accuracy and reliability.

Richard

Nusentinsaino

Wow, thats interesting... I think that would be a really good innovation for the problems with shortages of interpretenders. Thanks for the info.

Interpretrator

That's a really interesting idea. Obviously there would have to be some kind of screening to find good and safe candidates. And I assume they would become interpreters AFTER they are released from prison, right?

I know schools, at least, require a background check and fingerprints to become an interpreter there. If what they find matches what's on the ex-prisoner's application, is that okay? Or do you think they would have problems finding jobs in the educational field (where most interpreters start AND which is being hit hard by the attrition problem you mention) because of their past?

I think this idea has a lot of potential and should be studied further. I'd be interested to know what happens.

Nesmuth

Technically the plan calls for a pool of VRI terps 24/7 and the candidates will be for people who will be staying at the system for over 5 yrs and by the time theyre released they will have enough qualifications and experience to be able to find jobs as interpreters in various companies that already offer interpreting services.

Prison industries are already being used to train service animals and guide dogs. And we're already developing a program with our students to train prisoners to be SSP's (Support Service Provider) for the deaf-blind. We should impliment the training prograim in a few months from now. And the same people can be used to develop the VRI training program for us as well.

Our free SSP classes are on Friday nights from 6pm to 9pm. And in those classes there has been a lot of discussion on training prisoners.

Richard

Interpretrator

Well, that's a fascinating idea.

Normally the learning curve for an interpreter goes the other way -- start out in the profession, gain experience, and then become a video relay interpreter. I would be interested to know how they do starting out with video relay. (Personally I have avoided that work because I have a real problem with watching signing on a screen; something about understanding ASL in 2-D just doesn't happen in my brain too well.)

I would guess that, just like a community college or wherever, you will get a sharp drop in students after they learn some ASL and then find interpreting is not for them. Hopefully some will continue on to become interpreters. But either way it sounds like a great way to show them woulds outside their own experiences, prison and otherwise.

Margie

I totally agree with Richard.
There is a shortage of interperters,and VRI is a very good idea, so the deaf who are in jail can understand whats going on.
And someday they can go into a rehab trainning program to get a good paying job.
Margie
Dir. of Commuication Services
OCDAC
Interpreter

qwerty123

VRI terps dont follow the stringent VRS standards imposed by NECA/FCC. Therefore, they are more freewheeling than VRS. What's more? VRI costs isnt reimbursable by NECA, so someone else is going to foot the costs of VRI.

Historically, prisonoers dont hold on many jobs and they often ended up with more crimes.

I dont see how they can benifit the interpreter shortage.

qwerty123

Oh, you too. You work on the same desk as Richard does?

the VRI concept isnt new, but it is not taking off the ground.

Reba

That's what I am concerned about. Terps aren't expected to be angels, but they are supposed to be people of good character, follow ethical guidelines, be discreet, and work in various sensitive settings. They (and Relay operators) have access to people's medical, legal, and employment backgrounds and problems (including Social Security Numbers, birth dates, addresses, and other sensitive information). Deaf clients must be able to trust the terps and Relay operators. In this day and age of identity theft and stalkers, people need to be safe.

Also, much of becoming a terp is not just about ASL classes. It includes socializing with the Deaf community, so it would be difficult to get all the contact required while incarcerated.

Just something to think about.

Babs3who

I am currently researching this issue in preperation to my interview for the Miss Deaf Texas Pageant. Thank you for giving me this idea as a sugesstion with proof. But I do want to mention something-

My mother, who currently is a manager of Austin, Texas Sorenson Video Relay suggested to the CEO of SVR to provide a program that encourages more students in college to quickly get degrees in interpreting. They should establish an agency for VRS and outdoor iterpreting services. They basically have a huge list of interperters workig for them all over the country, and during slow days, they can provide back up interpreters to educational settings and so on! Currenlty the video relay services are providing a more enriching experience for interpreters, especially beginners, that encourages them to transfer the type of interpreting they were doing to VRS. Doing VRS they are getting bettter pay, steady hours, worthy breaks, and doing what they loved in the first place, compared to agency interpreting. Because of this, why not have the agencies, schools, and organizations provide the same rate of pay, a more steady schedule or benefits to counteract the negative impacts?

Does this make sense?

Interpretrator

This is true. I would assume there would be FAR more stringent screening requirements for prisoners or ex-cons working as interpreters, and also that they should be restricted from working in certain settings.

But people do often find redemption in prison (and I don't just mean in the religious sense). I've seen and read stories of people who were genuinely rehabilitated, like former convicts who are now drug or gang counselors. I don't know that this is going to be enough to "solve" the problem of interpreter shortages, but I think it's an interesting program to explore.