Former longtime Lexington jailer, corrections ‘visionary’ dies at 74

A ‘legendary’ corrections director who changed the landscape — and design — of Lexington’s jail, has died.

Raymond “Ray” Sabbatine, the longtime director of corrections at the Fayette County Detention Center from 1989 to 2001 died April 20, according to his wife of 52 years, Anne.

He was 74.

Sabbatine began working on criminal justice issues in various state-level positions in the early 1970s.

His wife said his work in corrections began when former county jailer and sheriff Harold Buchignani asked Sabbatine to be his assistant in 1976. What began as a benign request, ballooned into a lifelong commitment to corrections in Kentucky.

Sabbatine was elected jailer in 1989. In 1994, the position in Lexington went from an elected post to an appointed one. Sabbatine retired in 2001.

During this time, Sabbatine oversaw the construction of the Fayette County Detention Center on Old Frankfort Pike in 1999. This “state-of-the-art” build incorporated video conferencing technology, and a “sub-dayroom” concept, which allowed corrections officers to supervise large numbers of inmates. The $69 million facility came in under budget, and was designed with input from horse-farm owners surrounding the jail’s acreage.

Sabbatine publicly lobbied for a larger Fayette County jail for years, citing the dangerous inmate overcrowding and failing physical infrastructure of the 500-bed jail in downtown Lexington. He won a powerful ally in U.S. District Judge Karl Forester, who, on his own initiative, bundled together a collection of inmates’ lawsuits challenging conditions in the old jail and advanced them toward a trial date, forcing city officials to respond.

In 2012, Sabbatine took over as interim director of the jail following the retirement of Ron Bishop.

In addition to his work in the public sector, Sabbatine was a national authority as corrections risk manager with his company Sabbatine and Associates.

Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton called Sabbatine an outstanding public servant who made enormous contributions to the safety of the community over several decades.

“He was widely recognized as a national leader in corrections practices,” Gorton said in a statement to the Herald-Leader. “When we built our detention center in 1999, Ray traveled the country to bring best practices in corrections back to Lexington. Join me in prayer for his family and friends throughout this community.”

Anne Sabbatine said her husband was honest, forthright, and treated everyone equally — which made him a “visionary” in corrections.

“He didn’t play favorites, he told things the way they were, and didn’t sugar coat things,” she said.

Col. Scott Colvin, the current chief of the division of community corrections at the facility, said Sabbatine was a legendary figure in state and nation jail reform and — for a generation of corrections workers — a mentor, role model and friend.

“Director Sabbatine was recognized as highly innovative in his approach to jail operations, operating many times throughout his career on the cutting edge of corrections as evidenced by his embrace of new technology, success in direct supervision, objective jail classification, prisoner mental health initiatives and risk management,” Colvin said.

“Our Division has the Sabbatine family in our prayers, and gives our promise to honor the legacy Ray has provided to those of us serving this community.”

Outside of his work in corrections, Sabbatine ran Sabatini’s Gourmet Pizza on Southland Drive for about 10 years. The store’s sign still hangs in the Sabbatine’s kitchen, Anne Sabbatine said.

“He was a wonderful cook,” she said. “He enjoyed cooking, especially Italian food with what he grew up with — he cooked like his mothers and his aunts and didn’t follow recipes.”

After his retirement from working as the county’s jailer, he also invested into expanding pole vaulting in Kentucky.

Sabbatine attended the University of Kentucky on a full track scholarship where he participated in the hammer throw. When his daughter, Andrea, began pole vaulting, he put a runway in their backyard for her to practice.

He then began coaching other high school students and opened up an indoor pole vaulting facility in Shelbyville, which operated as the non-profit, Kentucky Elite Athletics.

His other passions included racquetball and helping those with mental health problems. Sabbatine was recognized with a lifetime achievement award in 2013 by the Lexington National Institute of Mental Health.

Sabbatine is survived by his wife, Anne, their daughter Andrea, 36, and her wife, Charlene.

No arrangements are planned at this time.

Staff writer John Cheves contributed to this report.