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June 6, 2007 – Upon hearing reports of yet another escapee from the Golden Grove prison, Senator Neville James again called on Governor John P. de Jongh Jr. to begin to rectify the long standing problems plaguing the prison by creating a separate Department of Corrections to turn around the facility.
"Since the new administration took the helm in January there has been 2 escapes; four inmates shot, one stabbed and one victim of an apparent suicide," James said Monday. "If this is not an indication that there is something flawed regarding the administration of the prison, then what are we waiting for?"
In March, Senator James issued a press release and a plea to de Jongh to use his executive privileges as outlined under the Revised Organic Act of 1954, to designate the BOC as its own agency thus separating it from the Department of Justice.
"A warden should be speaking to the day to day operations of the correctional facilities, not the Attorney General who is charged with prosecution," Senator James said at that time.
James further emphasized that St. Croix, the location of the prison facility, continues to receive negative press every time an incident is reported at the prison. "These incidents harm the image of our island in the eyes of investors and tourists and lowers the quality of life for our residents," James said.
"This is a situation that needs to be rectified posthaste and I am again appealing to Gov. de Jongh to address this immediately." concluded James.
