| Summary: | The primary goal of the research project was to collect national-level information on the provision of protection orders for non-English speaking applicants. There were six objectives: (1) To determine the extent of Limited English Proficient (LEP) women seeking protection orders on a national scale with documentation of languages represented and geographic distribution; (2) To assess current policies and procedures regarding LEP requests for protection orders; (3) To estimate the courts' current level of language services and assistance to LEP women seeking protection orders; (4) To identify and assess court collaborations with local community-based organizations; (5) To examine budget, staffing, and coordination issues that facilitate delivery of services to LEP clients; and (6) To develop national service and delivery models based on promising local practices. The multi-method study design included a national survey of courts, an intensive survey of a select group of courts and community-based organizations within their jurisdictions, and the assessment of selected sites that can serve as national models. The national survey, based on a systematic sample of counties stratified by population and state resulted in a nationally representative sample of courts. The overwhelming majority of courts were general jurisdiction courts that handled a variety of criminal, civil, and/or family matters. The national survey was followed by an intensive survey of a subset of courts, and local community-based organizations (CBOs) that served domestic violence victims. Courts selected for this phase had promising practices, such as language assistance plans in civil cases and the use of certified interpreters. The intensive survey included telephone interviews of court and CBO representatives and a fax survey for CBOs. Finally, three case studies were conducted to develop promising practices. The Part 1 (Phase I Data) data file contains 158 cases and 203 variables. The Part 2 (Phase II Quantitative Data) data file contains 81 cases and 81 variables. Part 3 (Phase II Qualitative Data) contains 123 interviews.
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