Klao Bell, Staff ReporterINMATES in the island's prison should not look forward to any conjugal visits at the facilities soon, even though it is highly recommended by the Ministry of Health and supported by Lieutenant Colonel John Prescod, outgoing Commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS).
The main argument against the move, is that there are no place within the prisons to accommodate conjugal visits.
"We don't have natural facilities to accommodate conjugal or other family visits. I am in support of it but we would need to get proper facilities and systems in place so we don't get accused of running a brothel," Commissioner Prescod told The Sunday Gleaner at the launch of the DCS National Rehabilitation Strategy.
In May of this year, Dr. Peter Figueroa, chief medical officer, at the Ministry of Health, proposed that conjugal visits be allowed in prisons as one way of stemming the spread of HIV/AIDS in prisons.
The rate of HIV/AIDS in prison is 12 per cent, eight times higher than that of the general population. And although the authorities acknowledged the need to take preventive measures, no plans have been put forward in this regard.
"I don't have a proposal before me, if one were made I'd look at it to see how we can start to proceed," Peter Phillips, Minister of National Security said. "It is something we have to look at within the overall context of health care and HIV/AIDS prevention, security of
personnel and its contribution to rehabilitation".
Dr. Yitades Gebre, director of the National HIV/Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) Control Programme told The Sunday Gleaner that there are social and health benefits to allowing conjugal visits.
Long-term prisoners
"For those who are going to be in prison for a long time, it would do them well psychologically and physically to have this kind of visit. It could also reduce the sexual violence in prison and decrease the risk of unwanted sexual contact," Dr. Gebre stated.
While authorities are stumped over the feasibility of conjugal visits, inmates think that the will to make it a reality does not exist.
"If the authorities believe that the inmates need it badly and that it would make a difference, they would find a way," said Patrick Martin an inmate at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre (TSACC), formerly known as the General Penitentiary.
He added that, "At GP there is not a lot of space but they could find space...they could allocate one or two rooms of the administration block for that purpose."
Mr. Martin, a team-mate in the Reverence for Life rehabilitation programmes, said conjugal visits would help decrease the violence and hopelessness of inmates.
"Conjugal visits would help, just to be near the one you love, or even to be intimate once a month or three months would take off a lot of stress. When inmates have something positive to look forward to there is less violence...right now we planning a concert for next week and there is unity and a level of happiness because they know they are going to be near their family members," Mr. Martin said.
Joyce Lynn who has been visiting her boyfriend at the TSACC for six years said she would "welcome it, because he is going to be in there for a long time."
Another woman, Donna Penicook was a little squirmish at the idea at first but said, she would do "anything to make him feel like him at home". Her boyfriend has been in the TSACC for nine and half years.
Conjugal visits are specially arranged visits for husbands or wives to visit incarcerated spouse.
