Audit Report on the Compliance of the New York City Department of Probation with Executive Order 120 Regarding Limited English Proficiency
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This audit examined whether the New York City Department of Probation (DOP) with Executive Order 120 (EO 120), which requires that City agencies that provide direct services to the public create a language access implementation plan in order to ensure meaningful language access to their services. DOP helps build stronger and safer communities by working with and supervising people on probation, fostering positive change in their decision-making and behavior, and expanding opportunities for them to move out of the criminal and juvenile justice systems through meaningful education, employment, health services, family engagement, and civic participation. DOP has 18 borough locations: five locations in Manhattan; six in Brooklyn; four in the Bronx; and three in Queens.
Local Law 73 was enacted in 2003 for the purpose of enhancing the ability of City residents with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) to interact with City government and more specifically to obtain needed social services. The law applies to four social service agencies: the Human Resources Administration; the Department of Homeless Services; the Administration for Children’s Services; and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. It requires that free language assistance services be provided for clients at job centers and food stamp offices, and when they seek to obtain other services from any of those four City agencies.
In July 2008, Mayor Bloomberg signed EO 120, which requires all City agencies to provide opportunities for limited English speakers to communicate with City agencies and receive public services. EO 120 specifically requires City agencies providing direct public services to ensure meaningful access to those services to LEP persons. To accomplish this, EO 120 requires these agencies to develop and implement agency-specific language assistance plans for LEP persons.
Results
The audit found that DOP generally complied with EO 120 and that it has made substantial progress in providing meaningful language access to the agency’s services for LEP customers. Although DOP had a Language Access Policy and Implementation Plan it created in 2009, the plan had not been updated since 2009. However, on June 3, 2015, during the course of the audit, and before the formal draft report was issued, DOP submitted an updated Language Access Policy and Implementation Plan. The updated plan (dated June 2015) is currently posted on DOP’s website and complies with EO 120.
The audit recommended that DOP continue to update its Language Access Policy and Implementation Plan to ensure that it adequately meets the language needs of the communities it serves by taking advantage of the studies available and posting all subsequent plans on its website.
In their response, DOP agreed with the report and stated that it “will continue to update its Language Access Policy and Implementation Plan annually to ensure that it adequately meets the language needs of the communities we serve by taking advantage of the studies available and posting all subsequent plans on its website.”