California Court Interpreters Data Collection and Analysis

Objectives Review California court structure and demographics Identify statewide and local data collection methods Identify how data is used for policy and programmatic decisions

California Court System 58 superior courts Over 400 locations California Judicial Council – governing body

Judicial Council and AOC Judicial Council makes rules, policies, and standards Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) is the staff agency of the Judicial Council

Language Needs in CA Courts Estimated 7 million LEP Over 150 languages spoken in California courts Over a quarter of a million days of interpretation services annually

Data Collection Systems Court Interpreter Data Collection System (CIDCS) Daily Activity Logs (DALs) Independent Court Data Collection Systems

Statewide System: CIDCS Oversight/coordination provided by AOC Data entry provided by courts Use of Daily Activity Logs (DALs) 49 courts participate

CIDCS Elements Language Certification/registration status Full day, half day, night session Location and case number Case type and event type

Daily Activity Logs

Independent Data Systems Orange County Los Angeles County

Language Need and Interpreter Use Studies Required under Government Code Conducted every five years Reviewed by Court Interpreters Advisory Panel and Judicial Council Submitted to the Legislature

Study Goals Describe trends in actual language use in California courts Describe immigration and language proficiency trends Compare immigration trends with court data

Programmatic and Policy Uses of Study Designate languages for certification Determine direction and priorities for interpreter program

Key Findings ( ) Over 1 million service days of spoken language interpretation Service days concentrated in Los Angeles area 83% Spanish 17 languages account for 98.5% service days

2010 Study – Recommended Threshold 1,500 service days to determine designation Compute with LEP population to predict growth +/- 1,500 service days = future decisions

Study Outcomes Designation of Farsi Exam development in high volume languages 2015 Study – capture use and need data in civil proceedings

Questions?