Legal Workshop: Jerry Lee Provides What's Missing!

When interpreting for Deaf inmates, two very real needs exist; join Awti and Benj for a brief recap!
TRANSCRIPT:
[Awti] A group of us just attended a legal interpreting workshop in Madisonville, TX, led by Jerry Lee, who taught and led discussions using her vast experience. I'd like to sum up what I enjoyed learning from her! Let's start with Benj Swindle's
perspectives and thoughts.
[Benj] The workshop was opened by a woman [Kim Cotton] who oversees this Texas program. Apparently, one single program in Texas is responsible for overseeing the needs of all Deaf offenders, so they're not incarcerated across the state, rather, they're all in one location so that services can be more easily provided for them. Interesting!
[Awti] We were shown actual videos of Deaf inmates sharing their experiences. I appreciated seeing the signs they used and the ensuing participant discussions!
[Benj] Again, these videos were of actual incarcerated individuals, sharing their experiences. This served as not only a language model but also gave us a glimpse into the prisons. I've never personally been in a prison so it was great to have access to that information, language, their backgrounds, style of interaction, vocabulary and lingo.
[Awti] This meant a lot to me; after all, how can we discuss the prison system and how can we interpret for Deaf inmates if we don't consider the perspectives of Deaf inmates? I truly appreciate Jerry's inclusion of their experiences - it truly made this workshop genuine.
[Benj] What hit me hard was, as a Deaf interpreter, I see a real need for Deaf interpreters to be working in that environment. In fact, it seems that there are no Deaf interpreters in that field,
working specifically with the incarcerated. Deaf interpreters work in the process leading up to incarceration, including apprehension and arrest, but when a Deaf person is actually in prison for the long haul, there are no Deaf interpreters facilitating those communication needs. So we Deaf interpreters need to be more and more a part of that process. I'm struck by the importance of that now! I used to think that, once in prison, a person was done for, that's it, you've lost your liberty; you've lost your freedom; you've lost your rights - game over. Now I realize that, no, there is still hope.
[Awti] So, Jerry: If you're watching, we hope you present this workshop many more times. We thank you!
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