Wynnie Testamark
Director, USVI Bureau of Corrections
Message from the Director
In recent years the growth in the prison population has challenged us to rethink how we provide services, facilities, and programs, and how we interact with people in our care. We rose to those immediate challenges by providing sufficient capacity, hiring more people, and providing educational and rehabilitation programs. At the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections (BOC), we have accomplished so much that we can be proud of, but our work does not end here. Our focus is on building a collaborative culture with our partners in employing creative and innovative approaches to ensuring the safety and security of our staff, those in our care, and protecting our communities.
That is why the Bureau has adopted the strategic tagline: Transforming Lives for a Safer Virgin Islands which will further be developed into a Strategic Plan for the period 2020 – 2025. Transforming Lives for a Safer Virgin Islands represents a new strategic direction for the BOC in fulfilling our mission, vision, and goals. It is a measured approach that outlines the path that this Bureau will travel to reduce recidivism and create a safer community. It details where we are going and how we will get there.
As Director of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections, I am confident that together we will ride the waves of opportunity and position BOC as one of the premier correctional facilities across the nation and around the world. At BOC, we are undertaking our own transformation and I am grateful for the opportunity to build on the achievements and challenges of the past by working collaboratively with our staff, community partners, customers, Governor and the Legislature, and the community to make the tough decisions and find solutions to our shared issues together as we transform lives for a safer Virgin Islands.
We remain optimistic and will continue to conduct all our duties and responsibilities with integrity, expectations of excellence, and respect for the value of human dignity and life. I also urge you to look optimistically to the future and see the BOC as a continued place of prominence in correction reform that requires your talents, commitment, resources and support as together, we advance strategically.
Sincerely,
Wynnie Testamark
Director
Security
Custody
Control
Mission and Vision
Find more information about our official statements and organizational structure below.
The mission of the Bureau of Corrections (BOC) is to provide proper care and supervision of all offenders under our jurisdiction while assisting, as appropriate, their re-entry into society. Also, striving to protect the public and ensuring the safety of the Bureau of Corrections personnel.
The United States Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections is striving to become the best corrections system in the Caribbean; protecting citizens from pre-sentenced detainees and convicted offenders by providing effective opportunities for returning citizens to achieve positive change. We view ourselves as a leader and partner in making the United States Virgin Islands a safer and healthier community, and fostering successful reintegration of returning citizens.
The United States Virgin Islands (U. S. Virgin Islands or USVI) are a group of islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico that is a United States of America insular territory. The U. S. Virgin Islands has four islands St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John and Water Island. The USVI are known for their white sandy beaches, emerald green hills, duty-free shopping, strategic harbors, and rum production. The official language is English. The National Bird is Bananaquit and the National Flower is Tecoma stans. The currency is the US dollar. There is no passport requirement for US citizens traveling to the USVI.