Dayton Municipal Court To Include Translation Services

Dayton Municipal Court to offer Translation Services

The foreign born population in the United States has boomed over 57% in the last decade. More than one in 15 of our fellow Ohioans speak only “a little” English or speak “less than well.” Russian, Swahili, Somoli, Turkish and other dialects make up a large proportion of the non-speaking population, as well as the growing Spanish-speaking population in the Dayton area. Language barriers can make it hard or confusing for citizens to access needed services, and criminal defendants and victims have the right to understand what’s happening in their cases.

Welcome Dayton, the Dayton Municipal Court and the Dayton City Prosecutor’s office are making an effort to provide people who come in contact with the court, important documents in languages that they understand. This will help them understand the proceedings and help them comply with the often confusing court requirements.

The push to convert key documents into foreign languages is an outgrowth of a language-access policy the city adopted earlier this year. The policy states no citizens can be denied access to services for being limited in English proficiency. It also says Dayton will prioritize document translation.