Let me make it abundantly clear that I believe no well-thinking person nor I hate or despise anyone with the HIV/AIDS infection as well as people affiliated with the illness of wrong sexual preference in lieu of the man-woman relationship.

But, to give condoms to prisoners is really saying to those whom it might affect, "Go ahead and continue this bad habit and avoid its consequences with a condom." We need to know what God says and how he feels about all sins - all wrongdoings - all illness as a result of certain wrong health practices.

By now, most people know that HIV/AIDS is contracted by sexual fluids passing from one person to the other during sexual exercise - some by contaminated syringes and some by blood transfusion.

Part of the concern is that mankind must learn to trust God - believe what he says. Surely, there is a penalty for wrong-doing; surely, there is a penalty for unhealthy sexual practices. See 1 Corinthians 3:16 21 and 1 Corinthians 6 : 18-20.

May God help us, Mr. Dalley, if anyone ventures to implement what one could call "your temporary moral lapse" on one of the most virulent societal issues. See Eccles. 12:13-14.

Perhaps we all need to do a little research on sexual sins and unhealthy, sexual behaviours and practices.

- Jeremiah Boughton, J.P., social-religious-criminal justice advocate

There is something about the prison and condoms issue which is telling us a lot about ourselves and the persons we select to lead us.

Listening to the intervention made by the JLP's shadow minister for health, Dr. Ken Baugh, we must conclude that he certainly lacks the ability to deal with real problems as he was quite good at telling the nation that condoms should not be handed out in prisons, but he still did not say, what the solution to the matter is.

It really tells us one thing; our leaders have not really accepted that HIV/AIDS is a serious matter, which cannot be addressed through soundbites and
hot air.

Then we give thought to the u-turn of the Minister of Health. Initially he was, correctly, of the view that condoms should be made available, but once he spoke with Peter Phillips, Dalley lost all his independence of thought. It certainly raises the question, who is responsible for the health of our nation?

Those from civil society, the
defenders of justice and human rights, seem to be predictably silent on this matter. I would remind organisations such as Jamaicans for Justice, that this matter of condoms in prison is one that goes to the heart of an individual's right to life.

- Matondo Mukulu, mukulumatondo@yahoo.co.uk, London, England,