Kate Stewart: Conjugal visits for prisoners a slippery slope

Should prisoners get conjugal visits?

Should prisoners be allowed to have sex?

Upon reading this question in a NZ Herald article, many may have thought "Well, I'm not getting any so why the hell should they."

Others may think "Why not, they get just about everything else handed to them on a platter."

There are, as always, valid arguments being made for and against this controversial issue, depending on your point of view. Some are arguing that sex is a basic human right, I'm not so sure that I agree with that particular claim.

Then there's the old favourite ... so many other countries' penal systems allow conjugal visits, why don't we? Maybe for the same reason that so many other countries manufacture nuclear weapons yet, we choose not to. Numbers don't matter if the cause is not a good one.

While I can see some positives coming from the idea, I'm afraid to say I see far more negatives, with far reaching, not to mention damaging long term consequences.

The cost will be great and not just in financial terms. Yes, there will be the expense of constructing and furnishing these taxpayer funded legal love shacks, which would not be a good look when we can't build or provide enough homes for those who do actually abide by the law.

And so many details to work out. Will there be complimentary wine awaiting the loved up couple? Maybe there will be scented candles and rose petals thrown in for good measure, plus a full cooked breakfast and late checkout. One can only imagine how much Corrections may be prepared to spend if it gets the thumbs up.

Will the taxpayer, too, be expected to spring for suitable internal body imaging machines to ensure that contraband isn't smuggled in, only to be "laxatived out" within hours of arrival and check-in?

Then, of course, we will have the inevitable number of pregnancies. For prisoners serving long sentences and with no financial means to support the child we will also be creating and or elongating the need for benefit dependency, yet another burden for the taxpayer to shoulder.

It's not really the socially acceptable thing to do ... to promote absentee parenting. The emotional harm on an innocent child, to have a parent who can't be there for them, physically, emotionally or financially. As I said, the consequences can go well beyond the visit in question and affect those that don't even get a say in the matter.

And what of those prisoners who don't have a partner to experience the luxury of a monthly conjugal visit? To feel included and valued will they be gifted an "inflatable friend" or perhaps sent on all expenses paid weekend singles cruise?

Mayhap the whole issue will result in a new reality show, The Bachelor - Kaitoke aka From Cellmate to Soulmate.

Yes, this is all written somewhat tongue in cheek but it's a slippery slope.

In my last rant about prisons, I said with what's on offer, the problem would not be one of people trying to escape them, it would be of people trying to make it their new home and just weeks later there was an item on TV news saying the exact same thing.

I'm not for stocks, time in the hole or chain-gangs but there has to be some price to pay, some loss of privileges and some consolation for the victims of their crimes.

"Dirty weekends" are a privilege, not a basic human right to be enjoyed by those who have done wrong.