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VI Bureau of Corrections reports medical monitoring ended; senators press on staffing, contraband and capital needs
Summary
Director Winnie Testamark told the Senate Homeland Security committee the court has terminated medical and dental provisions of a decades‑old consent decree after sustained compliance, but lawmakers pressed for fixes on staffing (61 vacancies), contraband cell phones, vendor backlogs and delayed capital projects including the Swan Annex.
ST. CROIX — The Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections told the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, Justice and Public Safety on Dec. 4 that it has reached sustained compliance with court‑ordered medical and dental monitoring, a step the director described as an “historic benchmark.” The director, Winnie Testamark, said the court’s termination of the medical provisions follows improved medical and dental standards after decades of federal supervision.
Testamark outlined ongoing priorities for the Bureau: filling authorized positions, expanding medical and mental‑health services, and completing capital projects. "The bureau continues to advance towards full compliance with the federal consent decree," Testamark said in her opening statement, calling the medical termination a milestone and noting the agency still must sustain performance to exit remaining monitoring requirements.
The committee’s line of questioning quickly shifted to short‑term pressures. Testamark reported the Bureau is authorized for 222 positions, with…
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