00:00Cipriani Batiste began his career in public service on November 27, 1961.
00:07Over the next four decades, he rose through the ranks of the prison service
00:11before being appointed Commissioner of Prisons in 1993.
00:16He served as the organization's executive head until his retirement in 2001.
00:23But retirement did not mark the end of his contribution to the country's penal system.
00:30A statement from the prison service says,
00:32Following his active tenure, Mr. Batiste continued to shape the country's penal landscape.
00:38In 2002, Batiste was appointed to chair a cabinet task force charged with reviewing the national penal system.
00:46The resulting report contained more than 40 recommendations
00:50and advocated for a shift from a predominantly punitive approach
00:55toward restorative justice, rehabilitation, and reintegration.
01:00The prison service says that vision contributed to the establishment of specialized units,
01:06including psychology programs and industry and communications, saying,
01:10This vision led directly to the structural transformation of the prison service.
01:16The impact of that work continues to be reflected in the prison service's rehabilitation and reintegration programs.
01:24The Prison Officers Association of Trinidad and Tobago is also remembering Batiste
01:29for his contribution to the organization and the wider penal system.
01:34His service to the nation was formally recognized with the Public Service Medal of Merit,
01:40and Silver, awarded in 2002.
01:43Both the prison service and the Prison Officers Association of TNT have extended condolences
01:48to the Batiste family, friends, and loved ones, saying,
01:53We honor his enduring legacy and pray for their comfort and strength during this time of bereavement.
02:00Our Vashita Wari, Rabnarain, TV6 News.
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