The Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance, chaired by Sen. Novelle E. Francis Jr., met Tuesday to receive fiscal year 2026 budget testimony from the Bureau of Corrections and the Justice Department. Lawmakers also considered a lease agreement for the St. John Taxi Services Corporation but ultimately held the measure in committee.
Wynnie Testamark, director of the Bureau of Corrections, presented a $37,702,232 budget request — a 4.08% increase from FY 2025. Of the 222 positions at the bureau, 158 are filled and 61 remain vacant. Payroll accounts for $15.5 million, or 41.34% of the budget, with $6.5 million (17.41%) dedicated to fringe benefits. The remainder is allocated to operational needs, including $13 million for other services, $1.8 million for supplies, $600,000 for utilities, and $50,000 for capital projects.
Testamark noted that correctional officers — who make up 43% of the workforce — have received salary increases averaging 45.4%, with some officers seeing up to 72% more in pay. Since 2019, 26 recruits have joined the bureau, and 14 became full-time officers. As of June 16, the Bureau had expended $12,184,810.30 — 51.42% of its FY 2025 budget — and incurred $2,984,481.50 in overtime expenses for the current fiscal year.
The bureau houses 351 inmates, 191 of whom are held locally. On-island housing costs the agency $320 per day per inmate — more than three times the $103 per day rate off-island. A total of 160 inmates are housed on the mainland, including 21 in Florida, 32 in Virginia, and 107 in Mississippi. The bureau remains under two federal consent decrees and in April filed a joint motion with the U.S. Justice Department to remove medical care provisions from one of them.
Testamark cited a local recidivism rate of 11% — significantly lower than the national rate of 68%. She also raised concerns about the increasing number of mentally ill individuals in custody. “These facilities are not the place for them,” she said.
Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea presented the Justice Department’s proposed $18,755,216 budget. Personnel services comprise $10,375,145, fringe benefits total $3,875,684, and additional allocations include $302,344 for supplies, $3,907,843 for other services, and $294,200 for utilities. The Department has 166 positions, with 23 vacancies.
Rhea said the DOJ remains understaffed and identified critical needs: both criminal divisions require four additional prosecutors, along with litigation assistants and victim advocates. The Civil Division is short two attorneys, and the Solicitor General’s Division is down by four.
He also voiced concern over the ongoing lack of a functional morgue on St. Croix. While St. Thomas has a working facility, St. John lacks even refrigerated storage. The DOJ’s modular morgue on St. Croix is nonoperational due to funding, contractual, and interagency issues. A new facility is expected to be installed by late summer. For now, bodies are transported from St. Croix to St. Thomas for autopsies.
Later in the day, the committee reconvened on St. John to consider Bill No. 36-0092, which would authorize a 20-year lease between the Virgin Islands government and the St. John Taxi Services Corporation for Parcel No. D-2 in Estate Cruz Bay Town.
Vincent Richards, assistant commissioner of Property and Procurement, testified that the lease includes two optional five-year renewals. Rent would begin at $9,600 per year — payable in $800 monthly installments — and escalate to $12,000 in years three and four, then to $14,400 in years five and six. Future rent increases would be tied to the Consumer Price Index.
Sean Claxton, president of the St. John Taxi Services Corporation, spoke in favor of the lease, saying it would allow the nonprofit to invest in infrastructure and enhance service. The group, made up of 34 licensed drivers, reinvests revenue into maintenance, operations, and member support.
Opposition testimony came from Carmen Wesselhoff-Hedrington, an independent taxi driver, who argued that the Cruz Bay stand is designated by a 1980 law as a public taxi stand for all operators. She warned that leasing it to a single entity would lead to chaos, citing the 2013 eviction of the corporation for misconduct. Management was later assigned to the Port Authority, then transferred to Property and Procurement in 2015.
Taxi driver Patrick Hendrickson Sr. echoed opposition, criticizing strict dress codes, allegations of verbal abuse at the stand, and his own suspension without a hearing. He described the environment as hostile and lacking due process.
Francis acknowledged the need for structure and unity among St. John’s taxi operators. The measure was held in committee.
Senators present included Vice Chair Marvin A. Blyden, Angel L. Bolques Jr., Dwayne M. DeGraff, Hubert L. Frederick, Ray Fonseca, Kenneth L. Gittens, Marise C. James, Franklin D. Johnson, Carla J. Joseph, Clifford A. Joseph Sr., Avery L. Lewis, Milton E. Potter, and Kurt A. Vialet.
Op-Ed: It’s Time for the U.S. Virgin Islands to Take Mental Health Seriously
Our beautiful Virgin Islands have been hurting for some time and in many ways. One appears to be with our mental health system.
In recent weeks, there’s been a heartbreaking increase in violence across our islands. These tragedies are not just headlines; they are signs that many in our community are silently suffering.
Behind every act of violence, there is often hidden pain: trauma, grief, anxiety, and unresolved mental health struggles. These issues have gone unnoticed and unspoken for far too long.
The stigma around mental health must come to an end.
We need to do a better job of educating ourselves and those around us. We need to remind each other that:
It’s okay to not be okay.
It’s okay to ask for help.
You are not alone.
Mental health is not a luxury. It’s essential.
Too many of us are taught to “just deal with it,” to stay strong and keep moving forward even when we’re hurting. But silence isn’t strength. Pretending to be okay doesn’t heal the pain. And ignoring our mental health only allows it to grow until it shows up in ways we never intended, sometimes even through violence or self-destruction.
People around us are hurting.
Some are grieving. Some are anxious. Some are battling depression or carrying pain from the past. Some are acting out because they don’t know how else to cope.
Violence is often the result but not necessarily the root cause.
If we don’t address what’s underneath, the cycle will only continue.
It’s time to break that cycle. It’s time to end the stigma. There is no shame in needing help. There is no weakness in speaking up.
Getting help is not just okay, it’s a brave and powerful step forward. A step forward to healing and bettering yourself.
If we can care for our physical health, why not do the same for our mental health? We see a professional when our bodies hurt; shouldn’t we seek support when our hearts and minds are hurting, too?
We all have a role to play.
Check in on your loved ones.
Be kind because you never know what someone is carrying.
Take time to learn about the signs and symptoms of mental health conditions.
Be open. Be compassionate. Be a part of the change.
There are safe and welcoming spaces right here in the Virgin Islands where you can speak freely with someone who truly listens and cares. Again, you are not alone on this journey. You are seen. You are heard. You are deeply supported.
Let’s not wait for another tragedy. Let’s act now.
Violence has become so common on our islands that it’s beginning to feel like the new norm. Another shooting? Another heartbreak? Another funeral? This cannot and should not be our reality.
It’s time to make healing our new normal.
It’s time to normalize seeking help when we need it without shame or hesitation.
Our community is worth fighting for. Isn’t it?
Let’s make mental health a priority for ourselves, for our loved ones, and for the future of the Virgin Islands.
Below is a list of mental health professionals in the USVI who are here to support you. They are ready to walk with you through your healing journey.
St. Thomas / St. John:
St. Croix:
-Dr. Nour Z. Suid, PsyD, is a Palestinian Muslim born and raised in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Dr. Suid is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She graduated with her doctorate in Clinical Psychology and Naturopathic Medicine. Dr. Suid is currently working as a mental health counselor at Serenity Wellness & Counseling.
Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com.