Harvest Festival & Pumpkin Patch Raises $23,500 for Know Your Rights & Clean Slate Programs
St. Thomas, USVI – More than 50 volunteers welcomed our community to the VI Justice Initiative’s 5th Annual Harvest Festival & Pumpkin Patch on October 10 at Magens Bay.
The VI Justice Initiative is a 501(c)(3) legal defense and education fund, formed in 2022. Its mission is focused on economic justice for the poor and underserved.
The VI Justice Initiative’s 5th Annual Harvest Festival & Pumpkin Patch is a free community event, weaving traditional agricultural elements and fall activities for families with children. The purpose of this event is to create a fun family-oriented activity that lets the community know about the free services that the VI Justice Initiative offers.
This year’s Harvest Festival & Pumpkin Patch featured a hayride through the Arboretum, a picturesque pumpkin patch and tractor for fall photos and to choose the perfect pumpkin to carve or paint in the Kids’ Zone. Hands-on activities brought by the Virgin Islands Children’s Museum, Tropical Treasure Hunt and so much more to keep the kids entertained. The community fair portion was comprised of 30 local vendors, including 3 youth vendors, non-profits, schools and government agencies.
It’s more than a Pumpkin Patch and Tractor Hayride…
The VI Justice Initiative raised $23,500 at its 5th Annual Harvest Festival & Pumpkin Patch. All donations received through the purchase of $5 Tractor Hayride tickets, $20 pumpkins in the Pumpkin Patch, donations made in person or at vijustice.org went to support the VI Justice Initiative.
The 5th Anniversary Harvest Festival & Pumpkin Patch fundraiser raises funds to provide:
Free attorneys for everyone who needs an expungement;
Free legal representation for non-profits;
Attorneys in the classroom for our youth to learn that engaging in criminal behavior can limit their ability to earn money in the future; and
Class actions and impact litigation by Virgin Islanders.
The VI Justice Initiative is the only 501(c)(3) legal education and defense fund founded and focused in the Virgin Islands. It is the only organization in the Virgin Islands providing these services. Without the VI Justice Initiative, the needs would go unmet.
Major sponsors include RapierMed, Island Booksellers, St. Thomas Properties, Yacht Haven Grande, Merchants Commercial Bank, Magens Bay Authority, and Keswick Insurance.
Since 2023, the VI Justice Initiative’s Clean Slate Program has helped members of our community overcome the barriers of their past by providing free full-service legal representation for record clearing and expungement. VI Justice Initiative attorneys have successfully obtained 84 expungements. This organization currently represents 70 individuals at various stages of the expungement litigation process Territory-wide.
“As a former assistant territorial public defender, launching the Clean Slate Program was essential from day one. Virgin Islands law provides a path to mandatory record clearing for many who have experienced court involvement, and it felt unconscionable that free legal representation was not available to help individuals navigate this process. The Clean Slate Program also addresses a workforce development crisis by helping Virgin Islanders regain access to gainful employment to support their families, reintegrate into our community, and become tax payers. Record clearing is complex and can require legal expertise, which we are proud to provide at no cost.” - Casey Payton
The Teen Education and Criminal Deterrence Project “Know Your Rights”
In 2024, the VI Justice Initiative launched Know Your Rights, which provides workshops in public schools, after school programs, and housing communities for youth to learn from attorneys that seemingly innocent behavior can actually be criminal in nature. The goal of this program is to empower youth with the agency to make good decisions that can change the trajectory of their lives. The VI Justice Initiative focuses on the behavior that could have economic consequences, such as limiting a young person’s ability to go to college, obtain gainful employment, and secure housing.
Class Actions: Advocating for Justice, Cultural and Family Bonds
The VI Justice Initiative’s first certified class action challenged the Government of the Virgin Islands’ unlawful practice of moving prisoners off-island without notice or a hearing as required by Virgin Islands law (Jamal A. Morton, et al. v. Kenneth Mapp, et al.). This case reached a settlement agreement in April 2025.
“The VI Justice Initiative joined the plaintiff’s litigation team in October 2023, because seeking and obtaining the proper balance and accountability can be challenging. We know that the culture in the Virgin Islands is finite and we believe incarcerated individuals and their families deserve to exercise every right available to ensure communication and family bonds between Virgin Islanders remain intact.” – Casey Payton
Nonprofit Advocacy: Supporting Local Organizations
In April 2025, the VI Justice Initiative began representing local nonprofit organizations, St. Croix Foundation for Community Development, St. Croix Environmental Association, Crucian Heritage and Nature Tourism, and Virgin Islands Good Food in response to a Subpoena Duces Tecum in a complex case before the District Court of the Virgin Islands involving Limetree Bay Ventures, LLC. The VI Justice Initiative’s advocacy ensures that local nonprofits have access to legal counsel, enabling them to withstand external pressures and continue their vital community work.
For more information about the VI Justice Initiative vijustice.org. Contact the VI Justice Initiative at 340-774-6504 or info@vijustice.org if you would like more information.
Give a gift to the VI Justice Initiative by making a donation at vijustice.org. Checks can be made payable to VI Justice Initiative, P.O. Box 746, St. Thomas, VI 00804.
The Virgin Islands Justice Initiative Inc. is a 501(c)(3) legal education and defense fund.
EIN: 66-1012841 | 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
