CHRISTIANSTED – Governor Albert Bryan, Jr. on Saturday said that Virgin Islander and longtime corrections expert Wynnie Testamark will be the next director of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections (BOC).
Testamark, a native of St. Thomas, is a 29-year veteran with the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department where she retired as an Executive Lieutenant.
She is also the CEO of WTS Consultant Services, LLC, a Criminal Justice Consulting firm, specializing in Policy Development, Ethics Training, Jail Operations, Accreditation, Technical Assistance, Auditing, and Staffing Analysis.
During her service career, Testamark served as an Accreditation Manager and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Coordinator, and Safety Officer for the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department. She currently travels throughout the United States and abroad to audit jails and prisons to ensure national/international compliance with accreditation and conditions of confinement.
“Wynnie Testamark is the right person, with the right knowledge and experience to guide the Bureau out of its long-standing federal consent decree, and I am excited to announce her as our new Director,” Governor Bryan said.
“She understands the unique issues and has twice visited the territory during her career to provide consulting and guidance on the existing consent decree, accreditation, and other federal compliance matters. We are lucky to have her return home, and I am grateful for her service and look forward to working with her,” the governor added.
Testamark is a graduate from the National Jail Leadership Command Academy (NJLCA) and also served as a Mentor for the NJLCA. She acquired certification as a Certified Jail Manager from the American Jail Association. She is a Certified Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Auditor, certified by the United States Department of Justice and is an Auditor Chairperson for the American Correctional Association and a Certified Crisis Intervention Trainer.
Testamark holds a Master of Science Degree in Management, with a specialization in Human Resources, from St. Thomas University, and also holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Organizational Leadership from St. Thomas University.
Horrible story headlines! St Croix is not reflected in this callous mockery of human despair! Who is the editor who thinks that is journalism? Move on to another pasture and make room for better educated leadership! My family lived and taught schoolchildren on St Croix for 20 years; this is not Crucian cultural values! Has the island become that enured to its own people?
Shame on the writer to detract from the good hearts of the people you serve by making light of the tragedy of suicide in prison. You have turned into clickbait a terrible story which could have examined the sad and preventable mental illness that is the cause of many incarcerations and crimes.
Polly Ducey is a bilingual clinical social worker who lives in Queens Village, New York City.