Mr Palmer Rules Out Condoms For Prisoners (Press, 2 October 1987)

On 2 October 1987, New Zealand’s Minister of Justice, Mr Palmer, announced that condoms would not be provided to inmates in New Zealand jails, despite concerns regarding the potential spread of A.I.D.S. in prisons. Mr Palmer acknowledged that A.I.D.S. cases were expected in New Zealand prisons, as evidenced by experiences from overseas, and that there were contingency plans in place for treatment and isolation should any cases arise. However, he firmly stated that prisons were not environments where sexual activity should take place, insisting that any such activity would be illicit. Mr Palmer emphasised the government’s stance against alcohol and drug use in prisons, underscoring the efforts made to discourage homosexual activity with explicit warnings issued to inmates about its dangers. He argued that the provision of condoms would not be appropriate, as it could inadvertently condone sexual behaviour among prisoners. He claimed that the absence of reported A.I.D.S. cases in New Zealand prisons so far indicated that the situation was not as dire as abroad. Opposition justice spokesman Mr Paul East responded critically to Mr Palmer’s declaration, arguing that further study was necessary before ruling out condom distribution. He pointed out that A.I.D.S. could spread rapidly among inmates and subsequently into the wider community upon their release. Mr East highlighted the inconsistency in government policy, questioning why clean needles were provided to drug addicts for the A.I.D.S. prevention while prisoners were denied access to condoms. Mr Palmer countered this by claiming that the circumstances surrounding needles and condoms were not comparable; he asserted that providing condoms would incite undesirable behaviours rather than protect health. The debate underscored the complexities faced by the Justice Department in addressing health concerns within the prison system, as well as the ongoing challenge of managing sexual behaviour and public health amidst rising fears surrounding the A.I.D.S. epidemic. Mr East called for a more thorough investigation into the prevalence of both A.I.D.S. and homosexual activity in New Zealand prisons before finalising any prohibitions on condom access.

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