Louisiana inmate interpreting program
(Text with B-roll videos of the Louisiana state capitol building, the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections, and a Louisiana prison): In 2009, the Louisiana Department of Corrections started teaching inmates how to sign… so they can communicate and act as interpreters for deaf inmates. Advocates for deaf imprisoned people said this was “exploitation.”
THE DAILY MOTH (ALEX):
I decided to come here to Louisiana to find out more. Also to interview with former inmates both deaf and hearing.
(B-roll of Alex driving a SUV in the rain. A Black deaf man is seen waving outside of his apartment in rainy weather. Alex and Lawrence sits down in a restaurant)
ALEX:
Inmate interpreters, what’s wrong with inmate interpreters?
LAWRENCE:
They don’t have “real’ certifications. They aren’t fluent and they miss things. They skip some of the right or wrong signs.
(Text: Lawrence: Former Deaf Inmate, Incarcerated for 17 Years)
ALEX:
Can you share what kinds of problems you had with inmate interpreters?
LAWRENCE:
One individual had a bad attitude. He was a teacher but we almost got into a fight. We were both inmates. But he was also an interpreter and we had a confrontation. When I got out, on the streets, criminals can recognize each other.
Text: Over a decade ago, the U.S. Dept. of Justice, on behalf of a deaf inmate, sued the Louisiana prison system for violating the ADA by failing to provide interpreters and other auxiliary aids. As a part of a settlement, a program was established to teach hearing inmates how to become sign language interpreters.
(B-roll of Alex driving a SUV and arriving at a large brick house. A white man named Scott greets him and invites him inside.)
ALEX:
At what point did the prison start using you as an interpreter? At what point…
SCOTT:
Right away.
(Text: Scott: Former Hearing Inmate Interpreter, Incarcerated for 5 Years)
They used me for mental health. Social work. Counseling. Medical or psychological settings. Parole hearings.
ALEX:
Pretty much everything within the prison, they’ll use you.
SCOTT:
Everything. I remember one time the warden assigned me to interpret a parole hearing. I was like, “I’m not qualified. I’m not supposed to be here. I wish someone from the outside world would come in and help him.” I tried my best but…
ALEX:
What happened to that deaf inmate as a result of “subpar interpreting?”
SCOTT:
He stayed there.
(Text: In 2018, HEARD wrote an open letter that condemned the use of inmate interpreters.)
(B-roll videos of HEARD’s open letter. The letter is dated 21 August 2018. The letterhead has the logo of HEARD (Helping Educate to Advance the Rights of Deaf Communities) and the logo of the Louisiana Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.)
(Highlighted text: “HEARD, LRID, and the undersigned organizations condemn this program and all forms of exploitation of our already multiply-marginalized imprisoned community members.”)
(Text: Talila A. Lewis, HEARD Co-Founder, Community Lawyer & Activist. Talila is a Black individual.)
TALILA A. LEWIS:
After years and years of trying to negotiate and have discussions with the system, and with the system ignoring us and being set in its ways, we decided we had to do something because the community was asking for action.
(B-roll video of the HEARD open letter that shows over 20 organizations)
(Highlighted text: “We demand an immediate end to this program…”)
(B-roll video of Alex in a house, sitting in front of a computer and browsing online articles. One headline says, “HUNT PRISON INMATES LEARN SIGN LANGUAGE IN FIRST OF ITS KIND PROGRAM, HELP HEARING IMPAIRED INMATES.”)
(Text: An minimum score of 3.0 on the EIPA will “qualify a hearing inmate to act as an interpreter.”
(B-roll showing a press release from the State of Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections dated July 25, 2013. The headline reads, “DPS&C Graduates Second Sign Language Interpretation Class, Five Students Earn DOC/EIPA Certified Interpreter Designation.”)
(Highlighted text: “Five of the 21 program graduates have passed a written exam, scored at least a 3.0 on the performance test (Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment - EIPA) and earned a DOC and EIPA certified interpreter.”)
(B-roll showing an EIPA website. A highlighted section has a title that reads “Level 3: Intermediate.” Highlighted text reads, “Demonstrated knowledge of basic vocabulary…” “often lacks depth and subtleties of the original message…” “may incorrectly interpret complex information…”
(B-roll of Alex looking at the Louisiana DOC Facebook page that highlights an interpretation program graduation ceremony in 2015)
(B-roll of a website that highlights Daniel D. Burch, Ph.D., a white man)
ALEX:
This is Daniel Burch. He owns an interpreting agency here. It seems like a large agency. He has many connections, including the state governor.
(B-roll of Daniel Burch interpreting for Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards speaking during emergency meetings)
It says here that he has extensive experience, has a Ph.D., is a noted speaker, and he used to be the RID president.
Text: The current leadership of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc condemned the use of inmate interpreters. “…using incarcerated individuals as ASL interpreters for Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, Hard of Hearing incarcerated individuals and parolees is abhorrent and unacceptable…” “This practice must be ceased immediately.”
ALEX:
He has a legal certification among others. He is the main person on the contract between the Louisiana Department of Corrections…”
(B-roll video of “CONTRACT BETWEEN LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND. CORRECTIONS AND Sign Language Services International, Inc.)
(Highlighted text: “Contract Objectives: To provide classes for offenders to become proficient in sign language and interpretive services and assist the department in the provision of these services to hearing impaired offenders.” MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT: $344,685.00)
ALEX:
They’re paying his agency $344,000 for three years of providing a program to teach hearing inmates how to interpret.
Text: We reached out to Daniel Burch for his comments, but he referred us to the Louisiana DOC.
(B-roll video of Alex pointing to a Google search that identifies Ken Patrick as the Communications Director for the Dept. of Corrections. Alex highlights a public profit picture of Ken, who is a white man. Alex then dials his number through a Convo Relay video interpreter).
KEN PASTORICK, via Convo interpreter:
Hello.
ALEX:
Hello Ken. Is this Ken Pastorick?
KEN PASTORICK, via interpreter:
Yes, this is Ken.
ALEX:
I’m concerned that the use of inmate interpreters… it’s hard to be neutral. And are they qualified?
PASTORICK, via Convo interpreter:
Our people are qualified. Absolutely they are. But what makes them qualified?
ALEX:
Qualified and neutral as well. Can you honestly say inmate interpreters will be neutral with deaf inmates if they are interpreting sensitive information?
PASTORICK, via Convo interpreter:
In the same respect can you trust a former inmate… who has gone through the same thing? Can you trust that person?
(Text: Ken Pastorick is likely referring to Scott, an ex-inmate interpreter.)
PASTORICK, via Convo interpreter:
The question is… should you trust a former inmate?
ALEX:
As a deaf person, I’m talking to you through an interpreter. This interpreter has an obligation to keep this information confidential after our call. Do deaf inmates have the same access?
PASTORICK, via Convo interpreter:
Alex, calm down. Hold on. I’m on the phone right now. I have an interpreter talking to me now. How do I know that this is not the individual that’s against me? How do I know if the interpreter through the phone is not trying to probe me to get information? How do I know if it’s really you?
(B-roll of Alex driving a SUV. He walks on a restaurant parking lot and greets Cedrick, a Black man. They sit down at a restaurant table)
ALEX:
Can you describe your experience with hearing people who became inmate interpreters?
(Text: Cedric: Former Deaf Inmate, Incarcerated for 23 Years)
CEDRIC:
They did not have skills. They only could do basic communication with deaf people. It wasn’t clear and I had to ask them to repeat themselves. I felt like telling them, “You’re fired,” then find another interpreter.
One time I was at a parole board meeting. I asked, “Where is my interpreter?” They said he didn’t show up. So they asked a man — he was Black — who knew some fingerspelling. I was mortified. I tried to sign, but it was uncomfortable and unclear. I had to fingerspell, but I wanted to sign at my normal pace. He couldn’t understand. The parole board turned me down.
ALEX:
What does that mean to turn you down?
CEDRIC:
I didn’t pass.
ALEX:
So because they struggled with fingerspelling, you were not able to provide your full statement, and they turned you down?
CEDRIC:
Yes. That’s right.
ALEX:
Does that mean you had to stay in prison for a longer time?
CEDRIC:
Yes, I stayed for another four years and I finally got out.
TALILA A. LEWIS:
They’re staying for extended periods because interpreters aren’t qualified or skilled. It might look like a deaf person is not making enough progress for their release. That’s a clear example of this scenario where there’s a focus on hearing people’s design when it should be the other way around with the focus on asking deaf people what they want, what they prefer. It’s like, here’s an illustration, suppose there’s a starving person. If they see bread crumbs, they’ll eat it because they want it. But they don’t realize there’s a big loaf right behind them.
(B-roll of Alex driving a SUV. Alex is at a park at a cookout. We see Scott, Cedric, Lawrence, and a white deaf man)
(Text: James: Former DeafBlind Inmate, Incarcerated for 16 Years)
ALEX:
Did you have an inmate interpreter for your parole meeting?
JAMES:
No.
ALEX:
So how did you communicate?
JAMES:
I used pen and paper. Then there was one time when someone tried to interpret for me. He was just learning how to sign. I couldn’t understand him. I didn’t know what was happening around me.
TALILA A. LEWIS:
It’s important to emphasize that this program is not the only program in the nation that exploits deaf people in prison. We have seen many agencies across the nation that although it’s not exactly the same, but very similar in sending the worst-qualified person, sending people who are not even close to being able to accommodate deaf people in prison.
(B-roll of a prison fence with barb wire at nighttime. Alex is standing on a street outside of the fence)
ALEX:
Wow. If you think about it, once you get inside, you have to follow their rules. So when deaf people make a request for a certified interpreter, will they be ready and motivated to listen? Or will they say, “Follow my rules?”
(B-roll of two men wearing orange prison jumpsuits walking in the distance beyond the fence)
Text: According to HEARD, no deaf prisoner has been granted parole since the formation of the interpreting program. Louisiana Department of Corrections continues to run inmate interpreting program to this date.
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[Video made possible by sponsorship from Convo Relay: https://bit.ly/2RyMogR]