LANGUAGE LINE TO AID NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING CRIME VICTIMS

 HARRISBURG, JUNE 13 – State Sen. Connie Williams would like her constituents to be aware of a service that will help crime victims that don’t speak English as their primary language to gain the assistance that they need.

 “Language Line is a free service that will allow crime victims to connect with an interpreter to learn more about available services and aid for victims,” Williams said. “Language should not be a barrier to obtaining the assistance a crime victim needs to begin the process of being made whole after a crime.”

 The Pennsylvania Victims Compensation Assistance Program added Language Line as a means to help non-English speaking crime victims. People can access both the compensation program and Language Line by calling the same toll-free number, 800-233-2339. When people who don’t speak English call the toll-free number, staff will connect that person to Language Line. Once on the Language Line, an employee will be able to identify the language being spoken and put the correct interpreter on the line. Interpreters at Language Line can translate over 150 languages.

 PCCD’s Victims Compensation Assistance Program reimburses victims for certain expenses that resulted from the crime committed against them. Those expenses include medical and dental bills, funeral expenses, counseling, loss of earnings, stolen cash benefits and crime scene cleanup. The program is funded through penalties and fees paid by offenders in the criminal justice system.

 More information on the Pennsylvania Victims Compensation Assistance Program can be found on the agency’s Web site at www.pccd.state.pa.us.