On August 22, 2001 the Cabinet of Trinidad and Tobago appointed a Task Force on Prison Reform and Transformation, the aim of which according to its Chairman, Cipriani Baptiste, was “to assist in guiding the government’s crime management policy with specific emphasis on the penal system”.

The report is in effect a review of the entire penal system in Trinidad and Tobago, an analysis of its strengths and weaknesses and an identification of the resources needed to meet both the inadequacies and the challenges.

The report recommends “the adaptation of the Restorative Justice Philosophy as the ideal concept to guide penal policy and practice in Trinidad and Tobago. This model hinges on the principle that the offender as well as the society is in some way responsible for offending behaviours. However, the offenders are held accountable for their actions. This approach is considered ideal as it actively incorporates and integrates all stakeholders including the community, victims of crime, corporate society, penal agencies in the fight against crime and in the various strategies and initiatives implemented for the effective management of offender within and without the prison population. It cannot be over emphasized that the philosophy is a highly integrated, proactive, participative and flexible approach to crime management”.

We are indeed pleased to make available to the public the report in its entirety. In this regard, please see the menu entitled “Task Force Report” to the left within the main menu. To read the report online the free Adobe Acrobat Reader should be installed on your computer.

The report opens in a separate window.

The Trinidad and Tobago Prison Service as an arm of the Criminal Justice System is committed to the Protection of Society and crime prevention by facilitating the opportunities for habilitation/rehabilitation of Offenders while maintaining control under safe, secure and humane conditions.