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Magistrate, prosecutor concerned about state of mental health in Territory

Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards and Senior Crown Counsel Valston Graham both expressed concern about the state of mental health in the Territory. Photo:VINO/file
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – At least two men appeared before the Magistrate’s Court earlier this week, including Alex Camsell and Keshaun Johnson, prompting both Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards and Senior Crown Counsel Valston Graham to express serious concern about the state of mental health issues in the Virgin Islands.

The men were before the court on multiple charges and each appeared to have limited or indifferent treatment to their particular mental health issues even as they were incarcerated at Her Majesty’s Prison at Balsum Ghut.

One related family member addressed the court thanking the Magistrate for exercising her discretion in one of the matters and said the Virgin Islands needs a mental health facility urgently to deal with persons of this nature.

Another of the defendants was remanded after not taking his medication as prescribed and started ‘acting out’ as a result. Magistrate Richards said she was informed that the prison authorities had decided that they had no vehicles to take several of the prisoners suffering mental health issues to see a mental health practitioner on one particular occasion after they were scheduled for an appointment.

Crown Counsel Graham noted that it was not that the family members are not loving or caring but were often just not equipped to deal with the situation faced by the persons in those conditions. “It requires a lot of patience,” said Graham, “the state needs to make it a priority so that no one is left behind.”

Magistrate Richards conceded that she needed to send a letter to someone in authority to address the issue after an appeal was made by a relative of one of the men.

One of the men also alleged that he was treated unfairly and made to walk funny in the past after being placed on medication by a nurse who had administered treatment to him in the past.

He also alleged that he had been put to ‘sleep in front of his peers’ previously but on the last occasion, the nurse did not give him anything ‘extra’ to induce this behaviour and it was a routine check-up as opposed to previous occasions.

The defendant further claimed that he was suffering from ‘plain schizophrenia’ and not paranoid schizophrenia and saw a nurse every six months for treatment of his issues.

17 Responses to “Magistrate, prosecutor concerned about state of mental health in Territory”

  • parent (16/02/2013, 09:36) Like (7) Dislike (11) Reply
    I am glad that these issues are coming to light. The Mental Health System in this country needes to be seriously look into. There is only one psychiatrist and she is prettry busy as Chief of Medical Staff at the hospital. On several occassion, my son was unable to see a doctor for a long time. There is currently a visiting psychiatrist, who is white. Have no problem with whites, but BVI wake up. People are just given injections and medication and no proper follow up is being done. Jail seens like an easy way out for the system, but what happens when they come out. Revolving door. We family members are often blamed by the system as not taking care of our loved one, but we need to know how to do this as it is not an easy thing for us. A need for a home is really needed. The autism program got off the floor because the Premier has a grandchild with this issue, but he and his team have forgotten the pledges they made during their campagin.
  • Guard (16/02/2013, 10:03) Like (4) Dislike (2) Reply
    I do not believe that prisoners should be leaving the jail to go to see the doctor at Mental Health. There was a time that the psychiatrist visited the prison. This should be reconsidered. Hired a psychiatrist full time. The nurses are just coming to the prison and giving injections and medication, not taking the time with the inmates. What happened to the old systems. What happened to when people really cared. This services should be improving not getting worst. The management needs to be addressed. Who is really managing that place? Seens like no is noone. Everybody does what they want.
  • jeff (16/02/2013, 13:15) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I recall that the issue of a mental hospital arose when a little boy from East End was brutally murdered by a mentally challenged defendant callers Germaine Sebastian. The judge in that case called on the administration to look into a mental hospital where these patients can be cared for. Nothing has happened. As a relative of the victim I call on the administration to look into the issue of a mental hospital.
  • On guard (16/02/2013, 15:16) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    too Guard. I myself want to know who is managing that place. There seens to be nothing going on. When you call that place and tell them you family need help, they just come and give medication and forget all about you It need better management. People need to be accountable for the bad actions. People just do not care anymore. Minister ofHealth you need to look into the condition of mental health services in this country. this place. Don't let them fool you. Just driving around in our tax vehicle and picking up their friends/doing personal errands.
  • VOICES (16/02/2013, 21:57) Like (2) Dislike (3) Reply
    Dr. Samuel needs to go back to mental health. I believe her contribution will be invaluable in the capacity of psychiatrist. This Cheif of Medical staff position is neither doing the country nor Dr. Samuel any justice.
  • big girls rules (17/02/2013, 03:30) Like (1) Dislike (4) Reply
    With all these failures in this place where is the NDP government?
    • to voices (17/02/2013, 08:28) Like (1) Dislike (4) Reply
      Sleeping until next election. They better wake up and start working on a better system and management.
  • viewer (17/02/2013, 08:27) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Dr. Samuel is a caring person that has a lot to contribute to the development of the mental health system. The system is currently broken. People doing what they want and noone to give accountability to She can be the director and the current director be the assistant, as they are no qualified assistant. Or she can be made the chief of Director for mental health and sandy lane while the other directors continue in their posts, but are given assistants. There are a lot of phd psycologists out there, such as Cindy George, she can be the assistant at Mental Health and also Mr. Turnbull should be returning shortly. Use the BVIslanders. They care about the people. When the others go, they are the ones still here to deal with the mess, as the
  • This is what you get (17/02/2013, 13:49) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
    The adage you get what you pay for really rings through in this situation. I do not profess to be the most informed person in the community, but I do have common sense. The government has prided itself on providing free health care to the residents of this territory. However mental health care based on my research is very expensive. Now that the population has exploded we have even more mentally ill persons roaming about. Has the funding increased to take care of these new people? If you had one psychiatrist managing 100 people adequately, how many more do you need to manage 1000? Are relatives willing to participate in the care and management of their sick loved ones or are they going to keep refusing treatment until they become violent? As an observer I realize that the mental health people work around the clock to keep people stable, but the number of sick people has outpaced the service and government has to increase services.



  • LAW (20/02/2013, 08:47) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Courts have more rights for criminals and bandits than they do for up standing citizens


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