With an absence of fathers in many households, Jamaicans tend to develop a love affair with their mothers … so much that they would even kill to protect them. But how many are willing to go to prison for crimes committed by the person who gave birth to them? The Sunday Observer took to the streets of Kingston last week to find out.

Winston Campbell

“Well my mother dead but if she was alive she would be old. And if she old then me woulda do a term fi har yes. Some people wouldn’t do it but suppose she is too old fi do di time; me woulda affi do it. But if she young now, den she woulda deh pon har own.”

Trevor Smikle

“Yes man, but it all depends ’cause a mamma dat. Me nah go allow a man fi hurt my mother but me still don’t want my mother fi go outta road go look nuh problem. So it all depends. Because, memba, nobody nuh waan go a prison cause prison nuh nice. But if it come to the test me woulda go a prison fi har. If me affi dead fi me mother me woulda dead fi me mother.”

Althea Smith

“Well, me nuh know. But it all depends still, it depends pon what she do, that is the only way me woulda go. But I don’t know because prison a rough place, yah man. But if certain circumstance come up weh me affi go den me woulda go. Suppose me know seh she right and dem agguh prison har fi har right den me wudda go fi har.”

Vincent McDonald

“Of course me wudda go a prison fi me mother. But me nuh have nuh madda; a me wife a me mother and of course me wudda go a prison fi me wife. A she do everything fi me, me wife a me life. I woulda do everything fi me wife; me woulda go a prison fi me wife. Me wife well important to me.”

Melonie Daley-Dacres

“It depends. It depends on the case. What is it that she did that I can take the rap for? Suppose it was something for one of my children, then that would be no problem. If she is willing to sacrifice then I can make the sacrifice also. I believe in family; unity is strength, but it depends on the nature of what she did. It can’t be something that is full-blown wrong and I am going to take the rap for that. My mother is not going to commit murder and I take that rap; that is wrong.

Desmond Cooper with son Mishawn, 4-years-old

“My mother dead but if she was alive, honest to God, if she is up in age and she commit a simple crime then I woulda go prison for har. Simple crime, summen like ‘partner’ and dem ting deh, then me woulda go fi har. But if she do other things like fi kill me father if him a abuse har; the balance affi weigh. But if push come to shove me woulda do it fi har. Because remember, she is up in age, maybe I woulda can deal wid prison likkle betta. But, as me seh, if she kill me father innocently then the balance affi weigh. But generally me woulda do it because a 12 a we she have.”

Colin Nash

“You shouldn’t even ask that question because if you play with my mother, it is left to my actions which can turn out to be anything. Of course, I could end up go to prison for my mother. If is she do the crime, well, that part kinda set a way still. But it depends pon what she do. If she and somebody have something and she should throw a stone and it catch the person and the person die then I woulda affi bear it for my mom. She old; me cyaan meck she go a prison at dem deh age deh, a betta me do it.”