The growing number of arrests of violent criminals is paradoxically adding to the strains on the already-beleaguered V.I. Bureau of Corrections, Director Julius Wilson told the V.I. Senate Finance Committee Wednesday during budget hearings in Frederiksted.
“Our biggest concern and challenge … is the rapid rise in our detention population," Wilson said. "As police and prosecutors carry out their duties, more and more young, aggressive gang members are entering our facilities."
For the first time ever, the detainee population at the Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility has outnumbered the convicted and sentenced population, he said.
“The rate of violence has increased mostly due to this gang influence. And because we cannot transfer pre-trial detainees, we are presented with many challenges by this particular group," Wilson said.
In response, the prison has increased profiling of active gang members, developed a database of those members and transferred gang leadership off-island after sentencing, he said.
The BOC has been working toward reaching compliance with several long-standing court orders to improve prison conditions and had invested a lot of resources to make “measurable progress,” in areas of concern including security, fire safety, staffing, equipment purchases, upgrades to the prison itself, farm production and community service, he said.
“The bureau is faced with many challenges, chief among those is the aging infrastructure of all our facilities,” he said. But officials have completed an assessment of the Golden Grove facility and committed funds to its repair and are making progress, he said.
After many years of problems at the prison, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion to place it into federal receivership. While strained, BOC has corrected many of the outstanding issues over the last two years, Wilson said. BOC will fight the move in court and has moved to terminate the existing court orders on the prison he said.
Wilson and staff were there to defend the government’s recommended BOC budget of $27.8 million. “While the amount represents a 2-percent cut from our last fiscal year allotment, we believe these resources will allow us to provide additional staffing, training, development and implementation of programs and work opportunities for offenders,” Wilson said.
Personnel wages and salaries account for $13.4 million or 48 percent of the budget, with benefits and employer Medicare and Social Security contributions accounting for another $5.4 million or 19 percent. Utilities are projected to consume $1.8 million, supplies $1.7 million and “other services," which includes an array of contracts with private vendors: $5.5 million.
No votes were taken at the budget oversight hearing. Committee members present were Chairman Carlton "Ital" Dowe, Sens. Sammuel Sanes and Nereida "Nellie" Rivera-O’Reilly. Absent were Sens. Louis Hill, Shawn-Michael Malone, Janette Millin-Young and Celestino White Sr.