Serious youth crime is on the rise in the Virgin Islands, but plans for a juvenile detention and rehabilitation centre remain mostly at a standstill after nearly 20 years, according to Health and Social Development Minister Vincent Wheatley.
“This government recognises the gravity of this longstanding issue and is committed to resolving it,” Mr. Wheatley (R-D9) told the House of Assembly last week.
He was responding to questions from opposition member Mitch Turnbull (R-D2), who bemoaned the government’s failure to provide juvenile offenders with an alternative to His Majesty’s Prison in Balsam Ghut.
“Since I have been elected into this honourable House in 2015, I’ve tried to get an answer as to why government after government — and now this present government — for the last six years has not made any steps towards building a juvenile detention and rehabilitation centre for young persons who have made poor choices and ended up in the judicial system,” Mr. Turnbull said during the Sept. 16 HOA meeting.
He also expressed concern that incarcerating juveniles violates the Constitution, which states that the HOA may make laws designed to ensure that children receive “protection from any harm, exploitation, neglect, abuse, maltreatment or degradation” — along with facilities to aid their growth and development.
Property not available
In response to his questions, Mr. Wheatley explained that plans to establish the facility initially included the purchase, reconstruction and retrofitting of a property at a location he didn’t disclose. However, he said, that property is no longer available for acquisition.
Therefore, the project timeline will depend on the outcome of feasibility assessments for an alternative site, the availability of funding, and necessary planning approvals, according to the minister.
He added that a new potential site has been identified, but he didn’t disclose its location either.
“What we haven’t done is a site visit,” he said. “Hopefully that will be done before this month is up. Hopefully we can lead a team and go shortly, by the end of this week or next week, to the physical location to see if it is at all possible or feasible.”
The minister acknowledged that incarcerating juveniles at His Majesty’s Prison is not in line with the values of the Constitution.
“We are taking this issue very seriously, and we are doing all that we possibly can do at this moment to address this matter and to make sure that it doesn’t continue much longer,” Mr. Wheatley said.
Years of delays
Despite the absence of a dedicated centre, the prison has introduced protocols designed to ensure the welfare of juvenile detainees, according to the minister.
They include a dedicated section of the prison for juveniles and a tailored programme that provides access to education, healthcare, legal counsel, and social and pastoral support. Rehabilitation plans are also being developed by a designated prison officer working in conjunction with the Social Development Department and the courts, Mr. Wheatley said.
The government also recently established two new mechanisms in response to student misconduct at schools across the territory: the Steering Group on Student Wellbeing and the Multi-agency Task Force on Student Support and Intervention. Both mechanisms were announced in June.
Crime on the rise
In response to other questions posed by Mr. Turnbull, Mr. Wheatley provided statistics about juvenile crime.
Cases currently before the court, he said, include 56 matters involving juveniles charged with crimes since the start of 2023. In eight cases, juvenile offenders were jointly charged with adults.
Additionally, he said, a total of 89 offences have been committed by juvenile offenders since 2022.
“We note an increase in the number of active cases,” he added. “What is most notable with these trends is the shift in the nature of offences to more serious crimes.”
These offences include handling stolen goods, robbery, criminal trespassing, aggravated burglary, assault, theft, escape from lawful custody, criminal damage, unlawful possession of explosives, and intercourse with a person under 13.
“The issue of crime among juveniles is not simply a ministry’s problem: It’s a country problem,” Mr. Wheatley said. “All of us must play a role in getting a handle on these young persons and guide them correctly. It’s a full society approach we have to take.”
