ST. CROIX — After four decades under federal oversight, the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections has been released from medical and dental care provisions under a consent decree that has transitioned into a settlement agreement.
The BOC held a celebration Friday on St. Croix to mark what officials described as a historic turning point for the territory’s prison system upon achieving compliance.
The District Court’s decision, signed by then-Judge Wilma Lewis on November 20, 2025, terminated multiple Section V provisions of the settlement agreement related to medical and dental care and ended federal monitoring of those areas after finding that the territory had achieved sustained compliance with most medical requirements and maintained that progress for the required period, according to court records. The court based its findings on monitoring reports and the findings of a court-appointed monitor.
The BOC entered a federal consent decree in 1986 after the U.S. Department of Justice sued over unconstitutional conditions at the St. Croix prison. The consent decree, which placed the territory’s correctional system under long-term federal oversight, with reforms and compliance measures continuing for decades, transitioned into a settlement agreement in 2013.
Desaree Arthurton, BOC head nurse, spoke with WTJX about the significance of the celebration.
“We’re just giving thanks for the security officers who protect us, the nurses who care for us, and for getting out of this consent decree,” she said.
She pointed out that all employees played a significant role in helping the BOC achieve compliance.
“After 40 years it was worth a celebration,” she said. “It was well-deserved.”
BOC Director Wynnie Testamark told WTJX that the bureau chose to hold the celebration because the agency is often viewed in a negative light, and she wanted to give staff the recognition they deserved.
“We felt that it was a great accomplishment,” she said.
Dr. Linda Callwood, the BOC’s medical director, offered a detailed account of how far the Medical Unit has come while speaking during the celebration. She described a facility once marked by cracked and missing floor tiles, termites, and paper-based records stored in file cabinets. She credited Arthurton with immediately recognizing that conditions needed to change.
“She saw it when she walked in the building and said, ‘no way,’” Callwood recalled.
Since then, inmates at the facility renovated the entire interior of the Medical Treatment Building. They retiled the entire floor, painted walls, and built a table for the conference room. The restrooms and break room have also been updated.
“They did that for us, they did that for them,” Callwood said. “This is where they receive their services.”
The inmates were also recognized during the ceremony for their contributions to improve the facility.
On the clinical side, Callwood said nurses now have electronic medical records, allowing the conversion of the room that once housed file cabinets into a conference room complete with a table built by inmates. She said nurses now draw blood in-house, with results delivered electronically the next day instead of the old process that required a trip to the hospital to receive paper results.
The Medical Unit went from one working dental chair to two. It also has a state-of-the-art imaging machine, and adequate dental staff to provide routine cleanings for the first time. The unit also has a functioning pharmacy to keep stock medication.
Friday’s ceremony and luncheon was held beneath a large white tent on the grounds of the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility next to the Medical Treatment Building. The celebration coincided with National Correctional Officers Week and National Nurses Week, giving the BOC an occasion to honor the staff it says made compliance possible. Certificates were presented one by one as employees were called to the stage to receive them, along with either a gift bag or engraved desk keepsake. A DJ provided music throughout the event, including upbeat selections as some recipients were announced and walked to the stage, while colleagues at their tables applauded and cheered.
Kyza Callwood, BOC chief strategy officer, thanked all the employees, noting that the celebration was all about honoring the individuals behind the uniforms.
“May you continue to serve with strength, lead with compassion, and walk comfortably knowing that your work truly matters,” he said.
The court emphasized that it retains jurisdiction over the remaining portions of the settlement agreement, including provisions related to mental health care, which will continue to be monitored.
The BOC will now move forward to continue working toward achieving compliance in the other provisions, including security and mental health, Testamark told WTJX.
“Those are some of the challenges the Virgin Islands faced back then, but today a lot of those challenges have been mitigated,” she said.
Even with the progress, Linda Callwood cautioned that the work is not complete because mental health components are still under the settlement agreement.
“We all need to get on board,” she said, urging all to document their work. “It’s not done unless it’s documented.”
In remarks from the podium, Testamark reflected on her arrival at the BOC in February 2019 under Governor Albert Bryan Jr., saying it has always been a challenge, but she did her best to surround herself with like-minded individuals. She thanked all who have hung in there with her, charging them to continue documenting their work.
“Stay focused on the mission,” she told staff. “You just focus on what you have to do, and I promise we will all reach higher heights.”
