Prisoners getting younger and younger
A senior rehabilitation officer at His Majesty’s Prison warned that offenders entering custody are getting younger, including a minor now held at the territory’s lone prison.
“We have a 13-year-old up at the prison right now. I think that’s common knowledge by now,” Walter Barrett said during the opening day of the Virgin Islands Anti-Crime Summit. He described youth crime as “a very serious thing” and urged better alternatives to custody for children.
Barrett, who leads restorative justice work at the facility, said that discussions often miss the triggers that push people into offending. “It says that opportunity plus threat equals crime,” he said, noting many offences arise when people face pressure such as hunger or job loss, not because they are “inherently bad,” he added.
He pressed leaders to fund a dedicated juvenile facility so minors are not housed with adults at Balsam Ghut. “It is very important that we take our finances and we put some money into building a place and a space for our juveniles. They cannot keep coming up to the prison among hardened criminals,” he said.
Barrett highlighted rehabilitation tools that can cut reoffending.
“I’ve been able to use restorative justice… and it has been proven to be very, very effective,” he said, recounting a case in which a young burglar met a teacher whose camera held an irreplaceable family image; the boy later volunteered extra work for the school after learning the harm he caused, he explained.
His appeal comes amid long-running concerns that the Virgin Islands still lacks a proper juvenile detention and rehabilitation centre, despite constitutional duties to separate minors from adults in custody. The government recently acknowledged it continues to breach the Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007 on juvenile detention, and lawmakers again faced calls to act. Mentoring group MALE also called for a youth facility earlier this year, noting that young offenders are currently sent directly to HMP Balsam Ghut.
Pressure on the prison adds to the challenge. The Governor praised staff last December for managing overcrowding at Balsam Ghut, while stressing the need for investment in facilities and rehabilitation. A 2024 report also noted delays to plans for a centre to house juveniles and others needing specialised care.
Barrett warned that without options that fit children’s needs, the territory risks higher reoffending. “When a juvenile goes to prison, the risk of recidivism is very high,” he said while urging a purpose-built site staffed with the right expertise.
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Psalms 1 daily in and out of school in church also
I have a few questions
1dont you think the money that Pavillon fleece Sl**man with could have gone towards this?
2 how much of that money he promised to give to Education was delivered?
3 the show next to admin. building what was the revenue?
4 the money Tohousr illegal inmigrantes in a hotel three menos, a/c how Much is that costing my tax follar.
5 the from CIBC where is that money going towards?
6 with this increase in these crooks salir.
Answer we the people
Soon the prison is going to turn into a daycare center because of the amount of children/babies that is being locked up. Guess the taxpayers money is going to be used to buy diapers formula and playpens.
THESE KIDS ARE GETTING HOOKED ON DRUGS AND THE MORE ITS IS BEING TOLD PEOPLE JUST CLOSE A BLIND EYE, AND THINK ” BAH MY CHILD WON’T GET INTO THAT , I GAVE TRAINED THEM BETTER / THATS WHY MORE WILL END UP IN BALO OR BONE YARD / THANK GOD THE KILL HAVE CEASED / DRUGS ARD DISTRIBUTED IN MANY WAYS / DISGUISED IN MANY WAYS IN COSMETICS – FOOD – DRINKS – SMOKES VEGATEBLES ETC AND BEING BROUGHT INTO THE COUNTRY , EVEN THE PARENTS CAN GET IT INTO THEIR BODY WITHOUT REALIZING IT THE SCHOOL CHILDREN ARE TARGETS FOR THESE DRUG PUSHERS FOR SPREADING IT AND EXPANDING THEIR DRUG BUSINESS , SOME YOUTHS AREUSED AS MULES – THATS A TERM THEY USE FOR SOME WJO SWALLOW THE DRUG AND BRING IT INTO THE COUNTRY UNDETECTED , SOMETIMES WHEN THE DRUGS BURST INSIDE THE PERSON DIES , BUT NTHE THE BUSINESS GOES ON , ITS ALL ABOUT QUICK MONEY / LIVE FAST AND DIE YOUNG
Well lets all go to prison so that we can get younger too.
At face value, this reflect poorly on the Territory’s commitment to create a decent future for its youth. And, a poor reflection as to parent’s involvement in raising their children. No doubt there are many who work hard at raining their children, but not enough of them
That said, the piece reports one under age child in custody but does not provide any other data. For example, what is the average age on convicts at the time they enter incarceration today vs. same for 10, 20 years ago?
Finally yall presenting stats and doing something about it
save deh youths
there is a serious obsession amongst the youths towards criminal life, gangsta life, sex, drugs, nightlife , party life, jueve life, violence, dancehall music with lyrics about sex,violence and drugs, weed, rum, dressing like thugs, dressing like prostitutes, anti police despite having little to no interraction with police and youths etc etc
thats why the money boyz gang popped up ………………..that lifestyle is seen as popular and positive amonths the young males and young females so if you not a part of any of those things then you lame. you not fitting in etc
festival time reinforce this again with the blatant use of weed, bringing dancehall artist and local artist and jam band artist that promotes sex,drugs,rum,gangs,violence, fast life, party life, night life etc
we need bring back morals and principals.
we need to show the harsh consequneces of those kinda things stds,hiv,drug overdose, drug addicts, gang violence, dying young , single parents, unamrried, acholoholics…….. i remeber i was small in school them use to bring acholoholics to talk to use and show us what happened to them after becoming acholoholics…it made think twice about drinking…. now i dont even know wa going on in them schools. kids forming gangs and trying to bring guns and drugs to school etc
we need to shun this kinda life
The government in doing nothing to help the young people to move forward all them thinking about is themselves