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District Attorney Marian Ryan Leads Victim Rights Training for Immigrant Tutors

Posted on: October 27, 2014 - 12:06pm
District Attorney Marian Ryan Leads Victim Rights Training for Immigrant Tutors
Middlesex DA Marian Ryan spoke with tutors who specialize in English language skills and U.S. citizenship at a recent program in Woburn.

WOBURN– Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan led a training for English language and citizenship tutors at English At Large in Woburn to raise awareness about the legal rights afforded to victims and witnesses of crime and the resources available to assist them.

“People who are new to this country may be particularly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation and do not need to tolerate behavior that may have been more culturally accepted in their native countries,” District Attorney Ryan said.  “We must be diligent in our efforts to reach and engage immigrant communities and ensure that people understand they have rights and protections if they are a victim of, or a witness to, a crime and that there are resources available to assist them.”

“We are so pleased to have partnered with English At Large, Homeland Security Investigations and MetroWest Legal Services to bring this important message to the tutors who work closely with immigrants every day.  These tutors develop close relationships with their clients by assisting with language learning and other important needs that arise.  They may be in the best position to encourage a client to contact the police or the District Attorney’s Office and can provide a crucial bridge linking their clients to resources and the trained advocates who can help.”

"DA Ryan brought to our professional development day a team of presenters who are committed to serving immigrants and refugees,” said Adam Bolonsky, Program Manager of English At Large.  “DA Ryan, Woburn Chief of Police Robert Ferullo, and MetroWestLegal Services showed us how they work collaboratively to ensure the safety of local immigrants and refugees, regardless of why they are here or where they came from.  We all came away with a clear understanding of law enforcement’s view of newcomers: that they have legal rights first and foremost."

“It is refreshing to hear from a group of dedicated public service representatives that prioritize the rights of immigrants and refugees,” said Qingjian Shi, Executive Director of English At Large. “They addressed the myths that so many of us, however well intentioned, fall victim to. The most important thing that our volunteers took away was how they can utilize their new knowledge in their work with newcomers.”

Participating in the training program were Woburn Police Chief Robert Ferullo, Peter DiMarzio, Victim Assistance Coordinator for Homeland Security Investigations, a branch of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Attorney Melissa Hartford of MetroWest Legal Services.  Also in attendance was Qingjian Shi, Executive Director of English At Large.  Twenty tutors and staff took part in the training.

The RIGHTs Project--Reaching Immigrants/Gaining Trust--was first launched by District Attorney Ryan in March 2014 with a training at The Immigrant Learning Center in Malden, at which The Victim Rights Law Center participated.  The program offers trainings throughout Middlesex County to immigrant education programs as well as refugee assistance centers.

Middlesex County is the most populous county in Massachusetts and one of the largest counties in the country with 54 cities and towns in urban, suburban, and rural areas, comprising over one quarter of the population of Massachusetts.  

There are 1.5 million residents in the county and of those nearly 20% were born outside of the United States.  Half of the ten most populated immigrant communities in the state are located within Middlesex County in Cambridge, Somerville, Lowell, Framingham and Malden.

The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office has offices throughout the county, including in Ayer, Cambridge, Concord, Framingham, Lowell, Malden, Marlborough, Newton, Somerville, Waltham and Woburn.  Through a contract with AT&T, the District Attorney’s Office has a 24-hour language line which is available to assist in communicating with victims.  Additionally, the office has created a county-wide Law Enforcement Language Directory for use by police departments for mutual aid and assistance in accessing interpretive services for victims and witnesses who speak native languages other than English.