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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 three‑year recidivism rate of about 11 percent for a 2022 cohort (65 rearrested out of 575 released), compared with a national figure she said was 68 percent.
Senators pressed for detail. Senator Franklin D. Johnson asked for copies of contracts with mainland facilities in Virginia and Mississippi; Testamark said family‑visitation approvals for off‑island detainees are processed once documentation is received and disputed claims that relatives must wait months for approval. On housing, Testamark said Virgin Islands inmates moved to mainland facilities are housed in single‑occupancy rooms within designated housing units and not placed in a roommate arrangement she described as the senators’ concern.
Fire‑safety and infrastructure questions drew sustained attention. The bureau said it is finalizing a scope of work and awaiting an engineer’s estimate to modernize fire‑suppression systems at John A. Bell and other buildings. Raymond Walker, the facilities manager, said the bureau is conducting inspections and plans to put the work out to bid once the scope is finalized.
Committee members raised video evidence posted on social media showing assaults inside facilities and the presence of contraband cell phones. Testamark acknowledged contraband phones as a major problem, echoing staff testimony that cell phones can sell for $1,000 each and that internal investigations are ongoing. She said some cases had been referred to the Attorney General’s office and that two staff members had been prosecuted and are serving time, but added that other inquiries remain under investigation.
On capital projects, Testamark reiterated plans for generators (a 900‑kW backup generator at John A. Bell and a 500‑kW generator at the Alexander Farrelly Complex) and said architectural design work for a new 207‑bed facility at the Swan Annex is complete; the procurement and construction timeline depends on FEMA environmental review and funding. Senators asked whether any public‑private partnership or procurement had already been approved; Testamark said no public‑private partnerships are currently authorized and that any such proposal would be brought to the Legislature.
The medical director, Dr. Linda Callwood, said the bureau has adequate staffing at John A. Bell for current medical coverage but requested more intense forensic psychiatry services that can only be provided off‑island in some cases. The committee also discussed a $500,000 budget line item proposed for NGRI/mental‑health care; Testamark said she had not yet received those funds but would follow up.
The committee recorded several requests for follow‑up materials from the bureau, including: contracts with mainland providers; the list and status of the 61 vacancies (breakdowns sworn vs. civilian); fire‑drill policies and schedules; results of completed contraband investigations and whether cases were referred to the Attorney General; and the bureau’s long‑term strategic plan and capital‑project schedules. The Bureau of Corrections said it will provide those documents to the committee.
The committee adjourned the BOC portion and moved to other business. With the consent‑decree medical provisions recently terminated in court and several corrective actions underway, the bureau presented a mix of progress and outstanding operational gaps that senators said require additional oversight and funding follow‑up.
