BVI News

Prison visits halted!

Her Majesty’s Prison in Balsam Ghut.

Officials at Her Majesty’s Prison in Balsam Ghut have halted all in-person visits to the facility.

The move comes in the wake of a stabbing incident this past Sunday that resulted in the death of one inmate and severe injuries to another. Four inmates were reportedly involved in the incident.

According to a media release from the Ministry of Health & Social Development on Wednesday, prison visits are temporarily suspended “until further notice”.

However, items may be dropped off from Monday to Friday between 8:30 am to 12 noon and 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm.

Further information, the release said, will be issued once the facility returns to normal operations.

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24 Comments

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  1. The Nation speaks says:

    You should also send 100 of those 200 CCTV cameras and install them at the prison to watch not only the prisoners but also the corrupt prison officers!!

    Like 23
    • Donation says:

      I’ll gladly donate $50-$100 for cameras to keep these clowns in check, if they act up lock them down! I’ll donate $1000 to build more lock down no lights cells.

      Like 18
      Dislike 1
      • What the f*k says:

        You dont donate to rebuild our only one dysfunctional secondary public high schools our only school our local people children have to attain there education which is not even functioning on half it capacity of the private schools that are where the *******people children attend the same generation of those who are for decade suppressing us for so long …u racist f*k….

        • BVIslander2 says:

          We need to stop electing these seemingly morally bankrupt clowns who waste the public funds and could obviously care less about our children and our schools. Stop blaming others. Based on the money that passed through our country over the past 3 decades, BVI should be a first world country, but we sit by and blame others while electing our friends and family members so that we can get our share share of the scraps of the country’s wealth, while they enrich themselves and waste the country’s money and resources.

        • Dubdub says:

          Lots of locals go private school! Ppl from outside on permits don’t have choice. They are not allowed in our schools even though they pay more tax!

    • Yes says:

      Thank you. That is a start to cleaning up. Next, the jewelry and street clothes in prison has to stop. Put all inmates in a prison uniform.

      Like 39
      • SURVEY says:

        PLEASE BE HONEST. IF YOU ARE IN FAVOR OF ALL INMATES WEARING A PRISON ISSUE UNIFORM, PRESS THUMBS UP. IF YOU ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF ALL INMATES
        WEARING A PRISON ISSUE UNIFORM, PRESS THIMBS DOWN.
        THIS INCLUDES FEMALE PRISONERS AS WELL.

        Like 123
        Dislike 3
    • What a shame says:

      Imagine, it had to take one of the prisoner being shanked to death for them to start get their act together up there SMH. You would think that the fact that it’s prison, there would be MANY cameras up there, but we have lots of money for consultation

      Like 29
      • @What a Shame says:

        The prison is the responsibility of the Governor and then Minister for education. Jaspert could have gotten international and UK Grant’s for this…Duncan remember used his powers and allocated money to HMP but what was that used for? They need to bring in some UK prison officers (about half the.officer population on an exchange program and send these for proper training in UK prison) for a shake up…for about 6 months to a year.

        Like 16
        Dislike 1
  2. SERIOUS SITUATION says:

    BY SUSPENDING PRISONERS VISITS FROM THE OUTSIDE WAS A SMART MOVE. PLEASE MAKE SURE ITEMS THAT IS DROPPED OFF FOR INMATES IS THROUGHLY SEARCHED WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB. IE MENS UNDERWEAR, CHECK UNDER THE WAIST BAND. SNEAKERS, CHECK THE INNER SOLES THAT CAN BE REMOVED. CHECK INSIDE THE WAIST OF JEANS BECAUSE THE INSIDE OF THE JEANS CAN BE OPENED AND DRUGS CAN BE STIFFED INSIDE THE WAIST AND SEWN BACK TOGETHER. CHECK THOSE PACKS OF CANDIES THAT WAS OPENED AND STUFF WITH DRUGS AND SEALED TO LOOK LIKE A PACK OF CANDY.

    Like 11
    • @SERIOUS SITUATION says:

      they should stop this nonsense of plain clothes prisoner and all the wasted time and money to search these.clothea would be cut out as well as the risk of smuggling in that manner. Give them uniform made by the Government. No more special laundry up in there. Imagine a government worker does the prisoner laundry and not prisoners assign to laundry duty. They living better than you and me. Let this young man’s blood not be shed in vain. There was a great sacrifice so let there be a reform NOW! The Governor needs to be the one to spearhead this rather than poking he nose to try to support a COI that is really bent on imposing direct rule. If they didn’t want direct rule…the Commissioner would have at least widen his inquiry to the last 10 years to include NDP…be they just trying topple Adnrew to take over…it’s nothing about the people and care for good governance cause the.NDP had GLARING examples of lack of good governance and allegations of corruption…so the COI in my respectful opinion has no legitimacy when it comes to being done in the interests of the people of the Virgin Islands. We not dumb here…widen your inquiry to the past 10 years November 2011 to present. Just in time for prison reform…

      Like 6
      Dislike 2
  3. Truth Be Told says:

    Does the jail have metal detectors and CCTV cameras. People who commit offenses and are sent to jail should not have any privacy. This is out of hand.

  4. Big trouble brewing says:

    It appears that the four inmates was fighting for their lives as they were attacked. The DUDES WAS STABBED UP ON PRISON PROPERTY THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM UNTILL THEY WERE DISCHARGED FROM PRISON. IF YOU ARE A PATIENT AT THE HOSPITAL, THE HOSPITAL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU UNTILL YOU ARE DISCHARGED. THE FOUR INMATES FAMILIES SHOUD CONSIDER RETAINING ATTORNEYS.

  5. If says:

    If the prison don’t get things in order, it will happen again. Yes inmates disagree or have fights but when they resort to stabbing another inmate to death with the help of a prison guard(s) it is unacceptable and wrong.

  6. @ Truth Be Told says:

    Exactly…you would expect that the prison would have a metal detector…but no…them still in the 1940s…the BVI High School had more security than HMP…

  7. Fo tru says:

    No more visits???

    Now where do I go for conjugal visits? I enjoyed visiting the ladies there.

    Like 1
    Dislike 1
    • Honesty says:

      Be honest. You were busing for some man love.
      We know. We got you you on the only working camera.
      Looks like you be turning Japanese for a while.

  8. Tried and true methods says:

    1. Ban certain colors, no name brands ( gang affiliated)
    2. Search visitors for contraband. Arrest/ charge violators.
    3. No shoes with laces
    4. Item brought in should have receipts attached totaling no more than $75.- not a queen show
    6. No outside food ( COMISSARY ‼️‼️‼️)
    – family can provide funds and they purchase from prison store. Prison is big business and they big criminals.
    7. The weed?! C’mon ridiculous they smoke infront if the guards we’ve all seen it.
    8. The guards going out to pick up lunch, do favors ARREST THEM. Let them be closer to their friends.

    Never seen a jail operate with such lax rules absolutely crazy.

    Like 14
  9. Resident says:

    The prison does have a metal detector according to my memory as a visitor. All items taken in are checked by prison guards.

  10. Nika says:

    Since I can’t visit anymore I understand that he can come home and visit in the evening ?

    Like 1
    Dislike 2
  11. Justice says:

    People die in other jail like all the time things happen u bvi people need to travel more becuase your head is stuck in a little rock u should try too pray for them instead and thank god for life.. we sgould take prisoners to come out and go to schools and talk to the younger generation so atleast they could feel like humans and be some help to the society and not just a criminal. Children would quicker listing to prisoners more than police like is facts…

  12. Justice says:

    If u open ur eyes you would realize that we are all brothers and sisters not criminals and police we are all humans at the end of the day . People say oh throw away the key and do this and do that but the same people your asking to this are criminals also (goverment)… so my question is how can people be so blinding to this things help one and other not bring them down we all can do good with alittle help.thank you bvi think big and with god first always

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