Judge Grants Request to Medically Treat Corrections Bureau Inmate

A Superior Court judge has authorized health care providers at the St. Thomas Criminal Justice Complex to medicate an inmate being held in custody, pending trial. The court’s actions follow a motion filed by the Justice Department on behalf of officials at the Bureau of Corrections.

The May 8 order for treatment of defendant Mohammed H. Salem came after lawyers from Justice cited concerns expressed by a staff psychiatrist. Superior Court Judge Denise Francois granted an Amended Motion for Involuntary Treatment With Medication and directed the Clerk of the Court to place the matter under seal.

Salem is being held at the John Bell Correctional Facility on St. Croix. Court administrators were directed to provide copies of the court order to Corrections Bureau Director Wynnie Testamark and other Corrections officials.

The judge’s order authorizes psychiatrist Evadne Sang and other medical providers at Corrections to provide “involuntary treatment with medication” to the defendant. In their filing, Justice officials cited a report stating that, “the Defendant has consistently refused to take the prescribed medication, which is necessary for the stabilization of his condition.”