US Enters MOU with NY Court System Over Rockland County Drug Treatment Court Language Barriers

Rockland County residents with limited English proficiency are now guaranteed access to the county’s drug treatment court thanks to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the US Department of Justice and the New York State Unified Court System. The agreement comes after an investigation found that the court was not providing adequate language services to non-English speakers.

According to the US Attorney’s Office, the investigation was sparked by a complaint filed in January 2023 alleging that people with limited English proficiency (LEP) were being denied full participation in the Rockland County Drug Treatment Court due to a lack of translation and interpretation services. The court had been operated by the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office prior to March 2024, when the New York State Unified Court System’s Office of Court Administration (OCA) took over.

“Members of the community should not be denied meaningful access to court proceedings and programs offering alternatives to traditional sentencing because of their limited English proficiency,” said US Attorney Damian Williams. “We thank the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office and OCA for working with us to ensure that the Rockland County Drug Treatment Court is available to all eligible participants.”

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke added, “Ensuring equal justice under law means doing so in a manner that is fair, accurate and understandable for all. People should not be penalized for their limited English proficiency and should receive the language assistance services they need to fairly participate in court proceedings and court-mandated trainings or treatment programs.”

Under the terms of the MOU, the OCA will take several additional steps to ensure meaningful access for LEP participants in the Rockland County Drug Treatment Court, including translating all documents into Spanish, Creole, and Yiddish, and into other languages upon request. The OCA will also publicize the Drug Treatment Court program in these additional languages and secure treatment providers that will offer court-mandated drug treatment programs in a manner that provides meaningful access to people with LEP, at no cost to participants.

The agreement is seen as a model for other courts in the district to ensure meaningful access to persons with limited English proficiency, in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Information about Title VI and limited English proficiency is available at www.lep.gov.