Rick Mullgrav Announced As New Bureau of Corrections Director

ST. THOMAS — The Governor Kenneth Mapp administration has announced Rick Mullgrav as its new Bureau of Corrections Director at a press conference here earlier today.

Mr. Mullgrav’s announcement comes at a critical time for the territory’s prison system, which remains under consent decree; where morale is low; and correction officers — some of whom have revealed intimate details to The Consortium of the current state of at least one of the territory’s prisons — remain frustrated with salaries that have persist at the same level for some 13 years.

Potter described Mullgrav as a “law enforcement professional” who gained the bulk of his experience at an advisory level rank within the Gwinett County Sheriff Department.”

Potter said Mullgrav has served more than 20 years in the management of corrections facilities and also the police department. He also managed a 2,000 plus inmate facility at Gwinett County in Atlanta, Georgia, where some of his responsibilities included security; staff and inmate safety; processing and training of inmates, among other duties, according to the lieutenant governor.

“This nominee, as a sheriff’s deputy, has worked at all levels of law enforcement,” Potter added.  This includes court room security, serving arrest warrants, processing details and more. Mullgrav remains in “excellent standing” as a member of  the SWAT Team, Potter revealed.

As it relates to education, Mullgrav, who was born in New York and came to the territory at age 9, attended the Charles H. Emanuel Elementary School and the Arthur Richards Junior High School on St. Croix. The nominee also attended St. Croix Central High School and graduated from the now-shuttered Saint Dunstan Episcopal School.

“We expect a lot from Mr. Mullgrav,” said Potter. “We expect that he’ll hit the ground running. He has the capacity to do so, he knows the territory, he’s a product of our soil who has gain experience elsewhere, and we always try to have individuals from the Virgin Islands to have the necessary experience to come back home and contribute.”

Feature Image: from left to right: Rick Mullgrav, Lieutenant Governor Osbert Potter.