Expanding the role of paralegals: supporting realization of the right to health for vulnerable communities. 2020

Albert Wirya, and Ajeng Larasati, and Sofia Gruskin, and Laura Ferguson
Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Masyarakat (Community Legal Aid Institute), Tebet Timur Dalam VI E No 3, Jakarta, 12820, Indonesia. awirya@lbhmasyarakat.org.

All around the world, the paralegal program prepares members of marginalized communities to face the legal system. Having a common background with their clients and being capable of conducting flexible work, paralegals' role moves beyond enlarging the beneficiaries of legal aid to addressing intersectional issues around health-related rights. This study assesses the health and other impacts of paralegals recruited by Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Masyarakat (LBHM), a human rights organization which provides legal assistance and operates in Jakarta, Indonesia. The positive results these paralegals can bring in the specific context can contribute to the development of community-based paralegals elsewhere. This mixed methods research was carried out in 2016-2018. In 2016, a quantitative survey was administered to LBHM-trained paralegals and a sub-set of paralegals who completed the survey were then also interviewed. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS, and, for the qualitative data, thematic analysis was conducted. The paralegals make important contributions to health-related rights in four distinct ways. Firstly, most of the paralegals checked their clients' health in all stages of detention, especially regarding their drug dependency status and checking for signs of torture. Secondly, paralegals help clients to be more aware of their health-related rights, especially regarding their rights to obtain health services inside detention. Thirdly, paralegals can ensure that their clients obtain health services by taking medicines directly to the clients or encouraging the law enforcement agencies to refer the clients to health services. Lastly, in drug cases, paralegals help their clients to obtain alternative sentences besides imprisonment. These four contributions verify the positive impacts paralegals, recruited from marginalized communities, can deliver for community members facing criminal justice processes. The shifting role of paralegals from merely an intermediary between clients and lawyers to champions of the health-related rights of their clients can happen as a result of adequate training, support, and networks with other agents in criminal justice system.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007214 Indonesia A republic stretching from the Indian Ocean east to New Guinea, comprising six main islands: Java, Sumatra, Bali, Kalimantan (the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo), Sulawesi (formerly known as the Celebes) and Irian Jaya (the western part of New Guinea). Its capital is Djakarta. The ethnic groups living there are largely Chinese, Arab, Eurasian, Indian, and Pakistani; 85% of the peoples are of the Islamic faith. Celebes,Indonesian New Guinea,Irian Jaya,Java,Madoera,Netherlands East Indies,New Guinea, Indonesian,New Guinea, West,Sulawesi,Sumatra,Timor,West Irian,Bali,East Indies,Madura,Malay Archipelago
D008297 Male Males
D011795 Surveys and Questionnaires Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions. Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D003416 Criminal Law A branch of law that defines criminal offenses, regulates the apprehension, charging and trial of suspected persons, and fixes the penalties and modes of treatment applicable to convicted offenders. Criminal Justice,Criminal Laws,Justice, Criminal,Law, Criminal,Laws, Criminal
D006297 Health Services Accessibility The degree to which individuals are inhibited or facilitated in their ability to gain entry to and to receive care and services from the health care system. Factors influencing this ability include geographic, architectural, transportational, and financial considerations, among others. Access To Care, Health,Access to Care,Access to Contraception,Access to Health Care,Access to Health Services,Access to Medications,Access to Medicines,Access to Therapy,Access to Treatment,Accessibility of Health Services,Availability of Health Services,Contraception Access,Contraceptive Access,Medication Access,Accessibility, Health Services,Contraceptive Availability,Health Services Geographic Accessibility,Program Accessibility,Access to Cares,Access to Contraceptions,Access to Medication,Access to Medicine,Access to Therapies,Access to Treatments,Access, Contraception,Access, Contraceptive,Access, Medication,Accessibilities, Health Services,Accessibility, Program,Availability, Contraceptive,Care, Access to,Cares, Access to,Contraception, Access to,Contraceptive Accesses,Health Services Availability,Medication Accesses,Medication, Access to,Medicine, Access to,Medicines, Access to,Therapy, Access to,Treatment, Access to
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D006806 Human Rights The right of the individual to cultural, social, economic, and educational opportunities as provided by society, e.g., right to work, right to education, and right to social security. Linguistic Rights,Right to Housing and Shelter,Rights of Indigenous Peoples,Collective Human Rights,Equal Rights,Human Rights, Collective,Indigenous Peoples Rights,Rights, Collective Human,Rights, Equal,Rights, Linguistic
D000080564 Right to Health Right to accessible health services physically within reach for all sections of the population, including children, adolescents, older persons, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups as well as financially and on the basis of non-discrimination. Accessibility also implies the right to seek, receive and impart health-related information in an accessible format for all, including persons with disabilities, but does not impair the right to have personal health data treated confidentially. Health Rights,Healthcare Rights,Right to Health Care,Right to Healthcare,Healthcare Right,Healthcare, Right to,Healthcares, Right to,Right, Healthcare,Rights, Healthcare
D000081702 Jails Place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody in a place under the jurisdiction of a local government such as a city or county for the confinement of persons awaiting trial or those convicted of misdemeanor crimes. Detention Centers,Gaols,Center, Detention,Centers, Detention,Detention Center,Gaol,Jail
D035862 Vulnerable Populations Groups of persons whose range of options is severely limited, who are frequently subjected to COERCION in their DECISION MAKING, or who may be compromised in their ability to give INFORMED CONSENT. Disadvantaged Populations,Patients, Underserved,Populations, Underserved,Sensitive Population Groups,Sensitive Populations,Disadvantaged Population,Patient, Underserved,Population Group, Sensitive,Population, Disadvantaged,Population, Sensitive,Population, Underserved,Population, Vulnerable,Sensitive Population,Sensitive Population Group,Underserved Patient,Underserved Patients,Underserved Population,Underserved Populations,Vulnerable Population

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