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Feds order Sheriff Joe to speak Spanish in jails

Terms of the 26-page settlement call for Arpaio to provide bilingual services for jail inmates and members of the public

By Sandy Fitzgerald
News Max

MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. — Spanish interpreters are in place in the Maricopa County, Arizona, jails as part of a settlement reached in a two-year-old discrimination complaint filed by federal officials against “America’s Sheriff” Joe Arpaio.

“The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office changed many of their practices after the commencement of our litigation, and these agreements ensure that progress continues and the constitutional rights of the people of Maricopa County will be protected for the long term,” Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mark Kappelhoff said, according to The Washington Times.

The settlement, reached this week, means that federal authorities will also be able to demand information on any workplace raids deputies perform, according to the Justice Department, and a ruling is still pending on charges that Arpaio’s deputies discriminated against Hispanics by targeting them during traffic enforcement procedures.

The terms of the 26-page settlement call for Arpaio to provide bilingual services for jail inmates and members of the public, including providing classes in Spanish and other languages for inmates, The Washington Times reports.

Full story: Feds Order Sheriff Joe to Speak Spanish in Jails

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