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Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections reports progress on medical consent decree but flags staffing, safety and vendor backlogs
Summary
Director Winnie Testamark told the Senate homeland security committee the bureau has advanced toward compliance — with medical provisions of a long‑running federal consent decree terminated — but faces staffing gaps (61 vacancies), about $2.8 million in vendor payments awaiting check runs, contraband cell phones and facility repairs that require major funding.
Winnie Testamark, director of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections, told members of the legislature’s Committee on Homeland Security, Justice and Public Safety on Dec. 4 that the bureau "continues to advance towards full compliance with the federal consent decree." She said the courts recently terminated medical and dental provisions in one of the long‑running consent‑decree cases and that the bureau is now working on remaining items under monitoring.
Testamark told senators the territory’s Bureau of Corrections is authorized for 222 positions and currently has 158 filled, leaving 61 vacancies. She said payments for fiscal‑year 2025 vendor invoices have been entered into the payment system but are awaiting Department of Finance check runs — she listed roughly $2,800,000 in outstanding invoices. "Payments to the independent monitoring team are up to date," Testamark added.
The director described the bureau’s operating priorities as addressing officer vacancies, expanding medical and mental‑health services, and recruiting civilian staff to support programs aimed at reducing recidivism. She cited a…
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