vigin isalnds held in contempt for housing mentally ill in jail; several times; over same exact people;

vigin islands were required to transfer these NOT GUILTY prisoners OUT OF PRISON when they were found not guilty by reason of insanity YEARS AGO

charges in one case included ATTEMPTED STEALING OF A BICYCLE.


the Virgin islands contacted less than 2% of the hospitals to try to find a place for them.

they even tried to get out of the order by saying that they would 'dismiss the charges'

from the order:

This Court has recognized the financial barriers to
compliance faced by Defendants, and created a
remedial account in order to provide Defendants with
ready access to funds necessary to improve
conditions and operations at the jail. Even if the
funds in the remedial account did not cover the entire
cost of constructing a forensic unit, they could have
been used to pay for the temporary transfer of Mr.
Ramos and the NGRI patients to a stateside forensic
unit, or to increase mental health services at the CJC,
until Defendants develop a concrete plan for
appropriately housing and treating these prisoners in
the territory. The funds in the account could have
covered the costs of hiring medical staff for and
equipping the Annex until the supplemental budget
was approved. Defendants, however, took none of
these steps. Such conduct exposes them to contempt.

a recent contempt of court order:


link to aclu article
http://www.aclu.org/prison/mentalhealth/32928prs20071130.html


aclu is asking that the defendants be fined.