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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 158 filled and 61 vacancies. She said about 25 of those vacant positions may be cut from the near‑term personnel plan because of a small reduction to the bureau’s proposed fiscal 2026 appropriation (from roughly $37.7 million to $36.4 million). "We continue to work with the monitors to help achieve [compliance]," Testamark told senators, adding that recruitment and retention initiatives are under way.
Lawmakers repeatedly pressed the Bureau about contraband cell phones, which Testamark and other witnesses described as the most significant security risk. "Contraband cell phones currently is going for 1000 dollars a pop," she said in response to questioning about videos showing assaults inside facilities. Testamark said investigations are ongoing and some matters have been referred to the Attorney General; she did not provide names or pending‑case outcomes on the record.
Fiscal and operational constraints surfaced in other exchanges. Fiscal manager Cathy Monroe said outstanding FY2025 vendor invoices totaling approximately $2,800,000 have been entered in the payment system and are awaiting check runs by the Department of Finance. Senators warned that delays are harming local vendors and urged the administration to prioritize those payments.
On facility upgrades, Testamark described major projects in progress: a 900‑kilowatt backup generator at John A. Bell and a 500‑kilowatt generator at the Farrelly Complex, perimeter lighting upgrades, and a completed architectural design for a proposed 207‑bed facility (the Swan Annex) that remains on hold pending an environmental review tied to FEMA funding. Bureau staff said roughly half of a $14.2 million FEMA grant for the Swan project has been used on design and site work while FEMA completes reviews.
The Bureau described programmatic gains even as problems remain. Testamark said approximately 40 percent of the inmate population receives mental‑health services and that 72 inmates are enrolled in educational or vocational programs. She reported a three‑year recidivism rate of 11 percent for a tracked cohort — a number the Bureau highlighted as well below the national figure cited in public testimony.
Senators requested follow‑ups and documents: Senator Franklin D. Johnson asked for copies of mainland contracting agreements and more detail about how visits with family are processed for inmates held in Virginia and Mississippi. Several senators pressed for the status of investigations into recorded assaults and whether staff have been charged; Testamark said some completed cases have been referred to the Attorney General and some staff prosecutions have occurred but declined to provide case‑level detail in committee.
The committee left the hearing with a series of requests — including contract copies, a breakdown of the 61 vacancies, records on assaults and referrals to the AG, and a timeline for the Swan Annex environmental review — and signaled that oversight will continue.
What’s next: The committee recessed to consider other business; senators said they expect follow‑up briefings and documentation from the Bureau of Corrections.
