The V.I. Bureau of Corrections confirmed Monday that an inmate at the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility in Estate Golden Grove was found unresponsive and pronounced dead on Friday.
According to a preliminary investigative report, the deceased was a 55-year-old male inmate whose name was not released by the bureau. There were no obvious signs of foul play, it said. The bureau’s medical and security staff followed the proper protocol in responding and notifying the Virgin Islands Police Department, the BOC said in a news release.
BOC’s Medical Director, Dr. Linda Callwood, immediately notified the next of kin, the bureau said. As per protocol, it was awaiting the results of an autopsy to be conducted by the V.I. Department of Justice Medical Examiner’s Office.
The bureau said it would be able to provide more information upon the conclusion of the internal and external investigations.
The John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility, long known as the Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility, is on a modified lockdown, but with strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocols. In-person visits, work details, and prisoner furloughs remain suspended, as they have been since the start of the pandemic, the bureau’s news release said. Court hearings held virtually remain unaffected. Attorneys can visit with prisoners via secure video conference by contacting the facility to schedule a video visit.
