While acknowledging problems at the Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility as outlined in a federal monitor’s report, V.I. Bureau of Corrections Director Julius C. Wilson on Wednesday said the bureau "continues to work on all issues referenced in the report" in the face of a staffing shortage and an aging facility
Wilson made the statements in a news release following reports that the monitor had found "virtually no progress" after a June inspection. Monitor Kenneth Ray said Golden Grove was in noncompliance on 107 of the 120 standards, 89 percent, it was judged on. The monitor’s report can be seen here.
The director pointed to a series of improvements that have taken place since the inspectors’ most recent visit.
Among the improvements Wilson said have been made since June are:
– "We have repaired and installed new locking mechanisms on all cells within the housing units.”
– "We have hired medical and mental health professionals to augment current staff and to provide for greater coverage.”
– “Five new corrections officers have been hired, sworn and are now actively on post.”
– "We have implemented external security patrols in addition to those security checks conducted jointly with VIPD."
The report by monitor had noted a difficulty with some of the door locks.
"During this assessment," Ray reported, "this monitor found all internal housing unit gates and officer stations to be locked upon entry. However, none of the exterior security slider-doors were locked. These doors – often referred to as the ‘sally port’ doors – were left standing open or unlocked upon entry into the units; we were once again advised that the electronic locking mechanisms are inoperable.”
Wilson’s statement Wednesday pointed out that the doors in question were not cell doors.
"Relative to the media reports, the doors that are being referred to are not cell doors or doors to the actual cell houses, but to the sally port. Our challenge with that particular issue lies with major rewiring, which is considered a capital project," he said.
Wilson said the physical plant of the prison is aging and in need of repair, but that it’s hard to schedule those projects because the facility is in constant use.
"The Golden Grove Correctional facility is aged. The facility has operated 24/365 for 40 plus years and, as a result, we experience failure in our mechanical systems and deterioration of the overall physical plant. Repairs are performed; however, major physical plant improvements require scheduling and completion is often delayed due to its continued use,” Wilson said.
Corrections is experiencing various challenges, he said, noting the most serious of those was staff shortages. “Yet we continue to hire as much as we possibly can based on the available pool of applicants and via recruitments efforts,” Wilson said.
“And while staffing continues to be a challenge, we maintain a level of service to industry standards while modifying operational procedures as recommended by the monitor."
News stories about the report noted the prison was to establish a new identification system, wherein everyone in the prison – from inmates to guards to visitors – was to wear an ID badge, but said "none of the inmates were observed to visibly wear correctional identification that was to be implemented." Ray also said then-Warden Basil Richards, who has since resigned, issued a memorandum to staff giving written instructions about inmates wearing identification cards, but that those orders were not enforced.
Wilson said inmates are not required to wear identification while they are inside their housing units, and added that leadership will make a concerted effort to step up the monitoring of staff and inmates in that regard.
The director acknowledged Golden Grove has its work cut out for it in bringing the prison up to standards, but said the staff is committed to the challenge.
“In recognizing our challenges and shortcomings, we expect that these reports are objective to the design and physical limitations of the jurisdiction. We take the monitor’s report as well as other related expert reports seriously as all parties are working toward the same result: a safe and secure prison facility that meets constitutional standards.”
Wilson said an internal review has begun of operational procedures for “revisions, improvements and implementation.” He said several new draft policies relative to the critical areas of classification, suicide prevention and use of force had been completed. The Bureau of Corrections “is receiving technical assistance from the monitor with regard to the development of the policies," he said.
Wilson pointed out an error in media coverage of the prison – continued reference to the prison operating under a consent decree. “The Golden Grove facility is not operating under a consent decree,” he said.
“The territory of the Virgin Islands/V.I. Bureau of Corrections entered into a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice in May of 2013 regarding conditions of confinement" at Golden Grove, he clarified. "It is necessary to distinguish between the two as they are both distinctly different processes and further reference to a ‘consent decree’ is completely misleading.”
A 1986 consent decree was followed by a 1990 plan of compliance and a 2003 stipulated agreement.
"The leadership and staff of the BOC will continue to press forward and further assure the community of our efforts to comply with all mandates, in addition to fulfilling our mission, which is to provide proper care and supervision of all offenders under our jurisdiction, while assisting in their re-entry into society, as well as protecting the public and insuring the safety of Bureau of Corrections personnel,” Wilson said.
