Interpreter Service
The Department intends to establish a contractual agreement with a qualified vendor who can provide an over-the-phone language interpreter service which is easily accessible to all North Carolina State Prison Facilities and Division of Community Correction locations.
A. The Contractor Shall:
1. Offer language interpretation services in all of the most commonly spoken languages around the world and supply a list of the languages with completed bid package
2. Have the capability to interpret meaning-to-meaning (listen to the speaker, analyze the message, and accurately convey its original meaning) in each language.
3. Be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and be able to handle any volume of calls.
4. Be able to connect requestor with an interpreter within 5 minutes. Billing for the
Call shall begin once interpreter is on the line. Billing shall be in 30 second increments.
5. Provide a toll-free number to a central communications center.
6. Provide a monthly invoice which shall include the following information on every call: date and time; total billable minutes; rate code (if different day, evening, and night rates apply); total cost of call; language used; and identification of DOP staff member and their facility location number. If this information is not on the invoice for a call, it can not be processed for payment.
7. Provide a training package for all DOC facilities using the service. Training package shall
include: instructional materials and guides to adequately and completely explain how to use the service.
Package must include available list of languages and a language identification card (brief instructions for non-English speaking person in native language so he/she can identify language he/she speaks).
8. Provide documentation of initial training and annual renewal training the vendor requires of their interpreter staff.
