Wynnie Testamark Named Bureau Of Corrections Director By Bryan

Governor Albert Bryan on Saturday named Virgin Islander Wynnie Testamark as director of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections. According to Government House, Ms. Testamark is a longtime security expert and a 29-year veteran with the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department, where she retired as an executive lieutenant.

A native of St. Thomas, she is also the CEO of WTS Consultant Services, LLC, a criminal justice consulting firm specializing in policy development, ethics training, jail operations, accreditation, technical assistance, auditing, and staffing analysis, according to Government House.

The release said Ms. Testamark has served as an accreditation manager and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) coordinator, and safety officer for the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department. She currently travels throughout the United States and abroad to audit jails and prisons to ensure national/international compliance with accreditation and conditions of confinement, according to the release.

“Winnie Testamark is the right person with the right knowledge and experience to guide the bureau out of its long-standing federal consent decree, and I am excited to announce her as our new director,” Mr. Bryan said.

He added, “She understands the unique issues and has twice visited the territory during her career to provide consulting and guidance on the existing consent decree, accreditation, and other federal compliance matters. We are lucky to have her return home, and I am grateful for her service and look forward to working with her.”

According to the release, Ms. Testamark is a graduate from the National Jail Leadership Command Academy (NJLCA) and also served as a mentor for the NJLCA.  She acquired certification as a certified jail manager from the American Jail Association. She is a certified PREA auditor, certified by the U.S. Department of Justice and is an auditor chairperson for the American Correctional Association and a Certified Crisis Intervention Trainer.

Ms. Testamark holds a master of science degree in management, with a specialization in human resources, along with a bachelor of arts degree in organizational leadership from St. Thomas University.

Correction: February 9, 2019

A previous version of this story,  because of a Government House error, spelt Wynnie Testamark’s first name “Winnie”. The story has been updated to reflect the correct spelling.