Plan for prisoners to have jail sex

By EUGENE BINGHAM political reporter

Corrections Minister Matt Robson wants to grant prisoners conjugal visits and let inmate mothers care for their children under programmes he hopes will reduce reoffending.

The Alliance MP believes "family-friendly" policies will give prisoners a better chance of normalising before release and improve their home environment.

In July, he will visit prisons in Victoria, Australia, where similar programmes are already under way.

But Opposition parties have condemned the proposals, with National's Tony Steel accusing Mr Robson of risking turning jails into prostitution dens.

"Victims of crime will find it repugnant that our prisons may become taxpayer-funded boarding hostels and honeymoon suites."

Mr Robson said yesterday that he had asked officials to investigate allowing sex behind bars for well-behaved prisoners towards the end of their sentences.

The privilege would be available only to inmates in stable relationships. Partners and parole officers would be consulted.

If reoffending rates were going to drop, said Mr Robson, the Government had to find ways to change people's behaviour while in prison.

"This is also a concern for victims because if inmates' behaviour becomes more normal, more social, then maybe it will make people safer."

A spin-off would be an improvement in the home environment too.

"Some of them may have improved in prison, then get outside, meet the same old mates, same old behaviour around home and they are back into [crime.] This might be a way of building normal relations," said Mr Robson.

He also wanted officials to look at allowing inmate mothers who had children under five to keep their toddlers inside with them.

This was beneficial for bonding between mother and child and encouraged rehabilitation, though there were problems.

"One thing you don't want with children is to normalise prison life ... because the last thing you want is a child saying, 'Oh, [prison] is okay.'"

About 30 of the country's 300 women are thought to have under five-year-olds.

The justice spokesman for Act, Stephen Franks, said he was flabbergasted.

"Restorative justice and attempts at rehabilitation will only be supported and successful if ... the community feels the state is committed to ensuring that victims do not suffer more than prisoners.

"The message [for criminals] now is three square meals a day, no responsibility, free sex and the kids can stay too."

Prison officers last night reacted cautiously to the idea and said they would like to hear more.

"On the issue of children staying in prison, when it's come up in the past our members have had a real problem with it," said John Slater of the Corrections Association.

"As far as conjugal visits go, we would have a reasonably dim view, probably much like the general public. What are we creating - a holiday park or a prison?"