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Gov Pruce pledges HMP development; Hon de Castro pledges investment in youth

- Hon de Castro challenges Gov Pruce & UK to match gov’t's investment
Governor Daniel Pruce (left) and Minister for Education, Youth Affairs and Sports, Hon Sharie B. de Castro (AL), both made pledges during the closing ceremony of the Virgin Islands Anti-Crime Summit 2025 on Friday, September 26, 2025. Photo: GIS
The United Kingdom, together with the Governor’s Office, will work with the Ministry of Health and Social Development to develop the facilities at His Majesty’s Prison. Photo: Government of the Virgin Islands
The United Kingdom, together with the Governor’s Office, will work with the Ministry of Health and Social Development to develop the facilities at His Majesty’s Prison. Photo: Government of the Virgin Islands
Minister for Education, Youth Affairs and Sports, Hon Sharie B. de Castro (AL) vowed to invest in youth development on behalf of the government. Photo: Government of the Virgin Islands
Minister for Education, Youth Affairs and Sports, Hon Sharie B. de Castro (AL) vowed to invest in youth development on behalf of the government. Photo: Government of the Virgin Islands
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Governor Daniel Pruce and Minister for Education, Youth Affairs and Sports, Hon Sharie B. de Castro (AL), both made pledges during the closing ceremony of the Virgin Islands Anti-Crime Summit 2025 on Friday, September 26, 2025.

The first-of-its-kind summit in the Virgin Islands (VI) was held under the theme ‘Our Virgin Islands: Safe Communities, Prosperous Territory’, over three days at the Multi-purpose Sports Complex in Road Town. 

The summit included discussions and presentations, and the pledges made at the end stemmed from these discussions, Governor Pruce said. 

Developing HMP 

Governor Pruce made a few pledges, among which was addressing His Majesty’s Prison. 

“We’ve also heard that the prison is facing challenges; it doesn’t have the facilities it needs, doesn't have the space it needs, it can’t properly look after juvenile inmates.”

The United Kingdom (UK), Governor Pruce, together with the Governor’s Office, will work with the Ministry of Health and Social Development to develop the facilities at the HMP.

“A team of experts from the United Kingdom will be here in the coming weeks to help with the planning of these additional facilities. 

‘I’ll challenge you today’- Hon de Castro to Gov Pruce 

Meanwhile, Hon de Castro, on behalf of the government and her ministry, pledged to invest in youth development. 

“On behalf of the government, we vow to continue doing the work of youth development in the Territory, and we will seek to ensure that we create safe spaces for you to be able to interact, have fun and be able to develop your interests; whatever they are, we will put the resources behind of you to be able to get it done.”

She thanked Governor Pruce for his commitment and that of the UK, but said they are looking forward to partnering with them in other ways.

“I recognise your support of the prison, but I believe we have an amazing opportunity to partner in areas of education and youth as well. So I’ll challenge you today, Governor and United Kingdom, we’re going to put some extra funding into youth development and programmes, and I’m challenging the United Kingdom to match our local funding.”

This funding will go towards creating those spaces and investing in activities that will ultimately support the development of the young people in the Territory. 

7 Responses to “Gov Pruce pledges HMP development; Hon de Castro pledges investment in youth”

  • yea (30/09/2025, 09:46) Like (7) Dislike (1) Reply
    How much money Parillon gave back to education dept. as promised from Cartel show?
  • BuzzBvi (30/09/2025, 09:50) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Oh no.

    PLEDGES and PRIORITIES. That's the end of that then.
  • annudda2cents (30/09/2025, 10:22) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    The only two announcements that I wish to hear from the Governor are the date of next elections, and the date of his own departure. Another Gus, Duncan, or Penfold would come in handy.
  • Lb (30/09/2025, 11:37) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    We are insulted the governor wants bigger prison

    Thank god that’s not the vip government’s Angada

    Hon de Castro we heard you !!! Governor go sit down
  • Stealth (30/09/2025, 11:59) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The Colonialists/Mount Olympus priority has always been jailing over educating the brutes/beasts. Up and down the Anglophone region the same architectural model prisons—HMP. What was the last capital project has the UK funded? HMP at Balsam Ghut. It didn’t even fund the new Government House. What is missing a HM High School. Studies have shown that is more economical and beneficial to educate than to incarcerate. Invest in education on the front end to avoid the high cost to incarcerate at the backend. The old HMP on Main Street serving as a museum is an embarrasing travesty. Close it and use the space for a needed useful project. If it going to be preserve to exhibit the colonialists ficus, invest properly and adequately on it. Gov Pruce,,a secondary school is needed up East. . Can the UK fund that??
  • Guest (30/09/2025, 13:38) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The real indictment isn’t that the Governor is building cells, it’s that we keep filling them.
  • Citizen (30/09/2025, 14:09) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Remember what Lucky Dube said, "they don't build no hospital they don't build no schools; all they built is prison prison". This is the best of the slave masters; all they build for our children is prison. Time for them to go all of them.


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