Government

Emergency Hearing Called to Investigate High Level of Resignations and Terminations at Bureau of Corrections

Senator-at-Large Steven D. Payne, Sr., Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, Justice, Public Safety and Veterans Affairs, has scheduled an emergency hearing in an attempt to ascertain the extent of the crisis within the Virgin Islands Bureau of Correction. The Committee will meet on Wednesday, February 13 at the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Hall on St. Thomas. The emergency hearing follows the Consortium's report of mass resignations and a number of terminations at the bureau under the leadership of new Director Wynnie Testamark. Two sources with intimate knowledge of the Bureau, one a former employee and the other who currently works at B.O.C., described Ms. Testamark as very disrespectful to her employees, some of them senior staff at the bureau. These sources also said that the bureau, already struggling under a federal consent decree and internal issues, was made worse by the new director, who they say operates the penitentiary facility with little regard for the input o...