The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office reportedly has met the requirements of a settlement agreement by providing language access for inmates with limited English proficiency.
Sheriff's officials announced Wednesday they were informed of that accomplishment by the U.S. Department of Justice.
DOJ officials say there appears to be a significant shift in the MCSO jail personnel's attitudes toward and treatment of Latinos in metro Phoenix jails.
They say that's leading to a safer and more equitable environment for jailed Latinos.
The sheriff's office has been working with DOJ on early identification of inmates who need language assistance, use of bilingual jail personnel to communicate with those inmates, and to relay critical information effectively through signage and public address broadcasts.
The collaboration was mandated in a settlement agreement approved in November 2015.
