Millions allotted to boost BVI’s justice system
Millions of dollars have been apportioned by the government towards a series of initiatives geared at transforming and enhancing the BVI’s justice system.
According to a Cabinet post-meeting statement released Thursday, the government agreed to a proposal considered by the National Security Council (NSC) for funding the Criminal Courts Transformation Programme for the next two years (2021-2023).
The government also agreed to strategies identified in a report given to the NSC to reduce the current backlog in the BVI’s criminal courts.
In consideration of the report titled, “Criminal Courts Transformation: Addressing the Backlog in the British Virgin Islands”, the government agreed to fund an estimated $300,000 in rental fees towards temporary accommodation for a second court.
The expenditure is expected to cover two years and includes costs for outfitting prison cells, air conditioning, and IT systems as well as furniture.
According to the Cabinet statement, the temporary court is expected to be used until the completion of Phase I of the Halls of Justice Building.
The government also approved additional funding to the tune of $617,800 to fill critical legal and administrative positions within its legal departments.
It was also decided that funding for this particular initiative should not exceed $1,097,800.
The funds are expected to be sought through a supplementary appropriation and to be allocated to the relevant accounts, pending its availability, the Cabinet statement said.
The Cabinet also decided to allocate $180,000 to “strengthen the linkages between the criminal justice sector and to build capacity”.
The announcement of the proposed initiatives comes in the wake of an upsurge in serious crime over the past few months, particularly several gun-related murders; with several of them being described by law enforcement officials as drug-related.
Furthermore, the territory has also seen a spate of large-scale drug busts and interceptions, with the most high-profile of these allegedly involving serving members of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF).
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IS CREATING SOME REACTION WITHIN /\\_ SO ALL OF A SUDDEN ( JUSTICE HAS BEEN BEEN DISCOVERED JUST LIKE THE OTHER NEW WORD CALLED RACISM / YOU ALL ARE BEGINNING TO IMPLODE GRADUALLY
Why is it that Claude is so keen on improving the conditions for prisoners?
‘Cause he might end in there.
About a week ago Vincent Wheatley said he had requests from people needing help from the government he said the amount added up to over a million dollars he then said that the government doesn’t have money, now this morning June 11 I am reading, Millions of dollars have been apportioned by the government towards a series of initiatives geared at transforming and enhancing the BVI’s justice system. This government is not for the people they for there self in every way, fix this and that but no help for the people, your time is drawing near.
This minister also confirmed that over $4mil was sent back to social security from the unemployment initiative fund.
I guess after all their cronies received enough they did not need the rest of the money.
The SHITstem
The government are fitting out the Prison cells. I wonder Why. Check is not like the El Chapo shower with a hidden door to exit. Hahahah
This week, Minister Wheatley stated the government did not have money to help buy food for its’ citizens. To further add insult to injury, he stated that people need a “spiritual renewal” to deal with their mental health challenges. Less than a week, there is money for reforming the criminal justice system. There are always monies for the institutionalization of Black people. Always! And it does not matter what country they are in. From this article, employment opportunities will be created; therefore, people get your resumes in order.
A country that has money for reforming the prison system but no money for helping the needy during a global pandemic needs intervention!
What a shame and a disgrace!
I think some are not understanding this clearly. The criminal justice system is made up of the ODPP, the Courts, and the Prison. There are a number of persons whose are on remand, or currently on bail, because their matters are not making it through the court system in a timely manner. This was before the hurricanes, but after the Courts were destroyed, and with the pandemic trials criminal trials could not be conducted because the law did not allow for trials to conducted virtually; it must be within the court. Additionally, there is one magistrate court and with the volume of cases, it is difficult for each magistrate to sit and schedule matters. There is need for other court facilities. With that there must be holding cells at the court for prisoners until their matter is heard or until they are taken to balo. Funding the courts is a very important matter, just like schools. No one is saying that it is more important, but without a functional system more chaos will prevail.
Where are all these money coming from..? Why these unnecessary projects at this time?
How much for education?
Probably cheaper to just build a new prison to incarcerate all the retired/convicted politicians, consultants and contractors that will be serving their long or life sentences for corruption, fraud, conspiracy, etc.
30 to 40 new cells with 2 politicians to a cell should accommodate these new inmates.
How about just getting rid of the whole clunky Magistrate process?
There is no justice coming from that slow system. A police can not even write a ticket when a man run over someone in a boat and kill he. It takes a year to make its way through the magistrate process, and in the end if you a belonger you get away with it…if you not from here you get fined and go to jail.
You don’t need $1 million to fix this. Just open your eyes and do some legislation that treats all people the same when they break the law.
When you start treating fairly, lots of this dumb scooter crime stuff will go away.
“in the end if you a belonger you get away with it…if you not from here you get fined and go to jail.” Newsflash idiot many belongers were not born in the BVI. Why do we even have a naturalization and belongership process when idiots like yourself dont know the difference. There are belongers in the BVI from Europe, Africa, USA and the every part of the Caribbean.
All I keep reading about is this and that being done. But yet no word on civil servants increments.
They force nhi on us and now looking for private health insurance. Like Atlantic was doing a good job back then.
Vip hired cline- skeleton to work back in the day to setup a program for the youths. Still waiting on this program.
Then he cline-skeleton jump ship n went ndp they lost he jump ship again to vip.and he there eating out the hands
Note. He was working in the states for a crooked who got arrested.
I leave with that. Vip n ndp are all crooks and for the people with high profile last name.
And we all know those last namessssssssssss
about time – chaotic courts – but need some decent judges