ST. THOMAS — Members of the 31st Legislature approved Bill No. 31-0074, sponsored by Sen. Nellie Rivera-O’Reilly, an act to allow for sentence reduction after successful completion of academic or vocational training while imprisoned, 14-0 (one absent). The measure, as its description states, seeks to help those already downcast by the confines of a prison cell, where loneliness and idleness often take hold.
Senators universally praised the measure at yesterday’s session and at past committee meetings. However, VI Consortium wanted more than senate hearing rhetoric, so Rivera-O’Reilly was asked about the inspiration behind her lastest measure.
The senator was forthright and candid with her responses, and in the process, VI Consortium learned that Rivera-O’Reilly, who has endured many hardships throughout her life, including an incident that involved her son; is a woman of her word.
“During the last tour of the Golden Grove Correctional Facility, former Warden Basil Richards described the hopelessness among young offenders and the ensuing depression they develop from confinement,” Rivera-O’Reilly said.
“He described how the Virgin Islands was missing a perfect opportunity to rehabilitate young men while in custody through education and training if these programs were attached to incentives. I promised him I would help and this is one of the few measures we have to ensure that incarceration becomes more than a desire to incapacitate, but rather to rehabilitate and reduce recidivism.”
The pain is personal to Rivera-O’Reilly, who regularly visits her own incarcerated son in a cell on the U.S. mainland. She told The Consortium that while some believe offenders should be stripped of all human rights, that formula, in and of itself, puts a high price tag on society.
Yet, aside from the cost to the community, the experiential value that Rivera-O’Reilly brings cannot be bought. The senator knows better than most the difficulty of losing a son to prison, and through an innate, motherly desire, Rivera-O’Reilly crafted legislation to help the incarcerated who live in the territory — as if they were her own.
“I have walked the halls of prison enough times to understand that sadness and brokenness have a distinct and lasting smell,” Rivera-O’Reilly said. “Every mother that has lost a child to the system and violence must live her life with an arrow in her heart. The arrow pierces with every breath; there are no winners in the world of pain and loss.
“When a mother visits her child at a grave site or prison, she leaves behind a piece of her. She will never be the same, and that’s why I do what I do,” the senator concluded.
Her bill will now be sent to Governor Kenneth Mapp for his approval.
Tags: sen. nellie rivera oreilly