Premier Wheatley backs education for youth over prison expansion
The first-ever Anti-Crime Summit, the first of its kind in the Virgin Islands (VI), was held from September 24 to 26, 2025, at the Multi-purpose Sports Facility under the theme ‘‘Our Virgin Islands: Safe Communities, Prosperous Territory’.
Several stakeholders with a vested interest in the community and tackling crime in the territory were in attendance.
2 very different promises
During the closing ceremony of the Virgin Islands Anti-Crime Summit on September 26, 2025, Governor Daniel Pruce promised to get the United Kingdom to assist with developing the facilities at His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) in Balsum Ghut.
He also said the United Kingdom (UK) will be assisting in that regard.
Hon de Castro, meanwhile, pledged to invest in youth development and put the necessary resources forward to support that.
She spoke of creating safe spaces for youth to be able to interact, have fun and be able to develop their interests.
'I agree with the Minister of Education completely '
During the Virgin Islands Voice on October 8, 2025, Premier Wheatley admitted that there is a challenge currently with overcrowding at HMP.
“We have persons in the community who are getting into trouble, and there have been some solutions, which have been put forward as to how you reduce overcrowding in the prison, so that’s a conversation.”
Premier Wheatley, however, said he has to “agree” with Hon de Castro.
“That was a part of the focus of the Anti-Crime Summit, [which] is how do you stop persons from taking on the life of crime, taking on that criminal mentality. You have to go upstream and see why a person is falling in the river in the first place, and I’m a big believer in that.”
He said having an empty prison should be the goal; however, crime is a worldwide problem, and facilities are needed to keep the public safe from those who have taken on a criminal mentality.
“Our ultimate goal is to find the root causes of crime, and crime is a complex thing, and the reasons behind them are complex.”
Dr Wheatley also shared that life experiences have taught us that investing in people is a strategy to reduce crime.
“Invest in their education, invest in their character, building good character…that’s what we need to do, we need to ensure that our young people, every single young person in the community, has access to that type of support.”
The UK has long been criticised for failing to invest in education in the VI and the other Caribbean Overseas Territories, but is always willing to build or expand prisons there.
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12 Responses to “Premier Wheatley backs education for youth over prison expansion”
The Uk to really help us need to send some of these violent crimminals to maximum security in the UK where they would have no influence on the BVI society. The people here need to open their eyes and stop lying to themselves on a spiritual and physical level.
In my firm, and honest opinion, I do favor Hon. Sherie B. deCastro, backed up by our Premier position 100% over our governor's position. Crimes will never be curbed in the B.V.I until vigorous education programs are first being in progress.
so yah end up giving them bail.............
Train up a child in the way he/she should go, and when he/she is (gets) old, he/she will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6