NEWS RELEASE
The National
Center for State Courts
300 Newport Avenue · Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
Contact:
Lorri Montgomery
Communications Manager
The National Center for State Courts
757.259.1525 or lmontgomery@ncsc.dni.us
The
National Center Selected as Finalist for American Government Award
Williamsburg, VA (March 31, 2003) – The National Center for State Courts and the Consortium for Court Interpreter Certification Program has been selected as one of 15 semi-finalists – out of more than 1,000 applicants – for the prestigious Innovations in American Government Award, sponsored by the Institute for Government Innovation at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Each of the 15 finalists receives a $10,000 grant and is now in the running to receive a $100,000 grant. Of the 15, five finalists will be named in May to each receive $100,000. For more information about the award and the other finalists, please click on www.excelgov.org.
William Hewitt, NCSC principal court research consultant, said he was “overjoyed” at the news for what it means to the interpreter program. “Equal access to justice is a hallmark of American courts. When witnesses cannot speak English, only accurate interpretation assures judges that evidence is not distorted,” Hewitt said. “How else can non-English speakers be truly present during court proceedings? This is a David-size program meeting a Goliath-size challenge. Courts in the United States are faced with the daunting task of interpreting more than 70 languages. We want to afford linguistic minorities access to the justice system we cherish and celebrate as a fundamental American right.”
The Consortium was founded in 1995 by the National Center and four states – Washington, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Oregon – and has since grown to 29 states. It was created out of the lack of qualified court interpreters and the absence of specific standards for states to use when testing applicants. The Consortium developed and maintains a rigorous system for educating, training, and certifying court interpreters.
For
16 years the Innovations in American Government Award has recognized
quality and responsiveness at all levels of government and has fostered
the replication of innovative approaches to the challenges facing
government. The award is administered in partnership with the Council
for Excellence in Government, and was founded by the Ford Foundation to
identify and promote excellence and creativity in the public sector
The Council for Excellence in Government is a national, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to improve government performance by strengthening results-oriented management and creative leadership in the public sector, and to build understanding by focusing public discussion on government’s role and responsibilities.
National Center for State Courts is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. The National Center, founded in 1971 with the encouragement of Chief Justice of the United State Warren E. Burger, carries out this mission through its offices in Williamsburg, Washington, D.C. and Denver, Colo., which provide research, education, and hands-on consulting services to the nation’s state courts.
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