This is really bugging me. The Toronto Sun editorial rightly points out the absurdity of Correctional Service Canada "studying a pay raise for convicts, including indexing it to inflation."
Have we all gone mad here? First of all, it's hard enough to get a left-leaning bleeding heart hug-a-thug judge to muster the courage to hand down more than a house-arrest, but then we actually pay convicts a wage (over and above the $110 grand plus a year for their upkeep)??? And we should be indexing that to inflation when many Canadian citizens can't even get a job?
And as I mentioned earlier, in Ontario we spend more to feed convicts than our seniors.
What kind of crazy, demented society is this? Maybe those seniors should all go out and commit serious crimes. It'd be like winning the lottery!
* * * *
And then there was this former ombudsman for federal prison inmates...
Liberal entitlement - The gift that keeps on giving.
Liberal entitlement - The gift that keeps on giving.
32 comments:
Uh-oh. I hope not too many seniors in retirement homes read your blog. I think this may be an idea too tempting to pass up. I think bank tellers will be a little on edge today when a senior lady comes into the bank and reaches into her purse.
This is utterly astounding. I have to say, when I read the statistics on the meals from your earlier post, I could somewhat understand why more would be spent to feed an inmate than a senior. I couldn't imagine a 200 lb convict being able to be sustained on less than $6 a day. But I didn't think the difference should be nearly double. And I had no idea it cost $110k a year to pay for an inmate's upkeep. And they pay them a salary on top of that? You're right -- insanity!
lol! I think bank tellers will be a little on edge today when a senior lady comes into the bank and reaches into her purse.
Good one, Steph!
I also like the Letter of the Day in today's Sun:
..."Why stop there? Why not give them a two-week all expenses paid trip to anywhere in the world they'd like to go. You know, vacation time. And make it two weeks accumulative for each year of incarceration.
Why not admit them as members of CUPE or OPSEU in order to guarantee these poor individuals a good pension and benefits package, too?"
I hope you don't have any readers in prison or union offices. Day passes to walk the picket line anyone?
Ontario we spend more to feed convicts than our seniors
While I don't agree with paying convicts, I do find it a bit odd that you would deride judges for not being tough enough and then complain about the costs of prisoner's upkeep. I mean, wouldn't the two go hand it hand? Get 'tough' on crime and obviously we'll be paying more to feed them? Would that not be the case?
Zac, I think that part of getting "tough" on crime includes tough sentences and tough prison conditions, not unnecessarily expensive meals and accomodations.
Steph, thanks for that. Obviously the point of the post went right past Zac. Whoosh! But there are none so blind as the lefty diehards.
Swift, not that long ago there was a big uproar about day passes for convicts to go to Wonderland. Remember that?
Why don't we just kill them all and be done with it? There you go... consider it a modest proposal. Would that make you happy?
*Joanne rolls her eyes*
Right. Very good suggestion, Red. Thank you.
Obviously the point of the post went right past Zac. Whoosh! But there are none so blind as the lefty diehards.
Well, I was trying to be nice about my question, but apparently you can't return the same courtesy. Why such the harsh tone?
My question was basically why you deride the government for providing prisoners with $10 meals. Is that too much, or simply too much in comparison with the pittence provided to seniors in government run nursing homes?
If we decide to get tough on crime, it is inevitable that incareration costs will rise.
O.K. Sorry, Zac. I'll try to be objective here.
My question was basically why you deride the government for providing prisoners with $10 meals. Is that too much, or simply too much in comparison with the pittence provided to seniors in government run nursing homes?
The latter. Just because seniors eat less quantity doesn't mean that they don't need increased protein, calcium and vitamins as they age.
However, the main thrust of the post is about the suggestion of a 'raise'. Are you in favour of that?
If we decide to get tough on crime, it is inevitable that incareration costs will rise. I am in favour of tougher sentences. If that means more prisons, fine. Just don't build more Club Feds.
You've gotta love the false dichotmy here.
Just because seniors eat less quantity doesn't mean that they don't need increased protein, calcium and vitamins as they age.
This concerns me also Joanne, and I would hope that Dalton McGuinty would take the appropriate steps to ammend this sorry situation.
the main thrust of the post is about the suggestion of a 'raise'. Are you in favour of that?
No, I'm not and said that in my original post. I'm not sure why we would be considering such a thing.
My main point though is that $10 per day for meals is really not that much. Seniors deserve more, yes, but $10 a day is really quite fair. I mean, I'm not a big guy or anything, and being in university I am on a tight budget, but I would say that I feed myself on a similar amount per day.
As long as we discussing the institutional needs of Ontarians, perhaps we should examine the crisis in public care homes (homes for the disabled, either mental or physical, who cannot work), where residents there live on $116 per month from the government.
Now, that is a real shame.
residents there live on $116 per month from the government.
Wow. Do they receive any subsidies for their housing, etc.?
If you live on $10 a day for food, you should write a book; unless it's K.D.
Do they receive any subsidies for their housing, etc.?
Basically, they get to stay in these horrid little dwelings for free, but they share rooms with 3 or 4 other people. They get their meals paid more, but besides that, they get $116 from the province for everything else. The houses were privatized (by Bob Rae, as ironic that is) so the province pays the housing operators per resident, which means the owners usually cut corners where ever they can.
This is a problem that has to be corrected as well but there doesn't seem to be any political will from any of the provincial parties, including the NDP.
- It's generally KD.
* ahem, paid for.
Well, I agree with you, Zac. That seems quite sad. I'd much rather see the disabled get a raise than the criminals.
KD is good, but you need veggies & protein too! (That's the Mom in me speaking now).
red,
what you could have said was:
in fairness, the caloric intake of seniors and the caloric intake of prisoners (who are by and large) much younger is not the same.
assuming you give human beings the same diet, then prisoner unit costs will be more expensive than senior unit costs.
we shouldn't be feeding seniors foie gras just to outspend per person prisoner meals.
to me, that would have scored more points, ultimately.
to me, that would have scored more points, ultimately.
I'm definitely impressed!
The cost of feeding prisoners can be easily reduced.Should not even be a consideration when enforcing the law.
As for seniors....I'm all in favour of NOT taxing anyone over 65.
Pensions of seniors should be tax exempt.
As for seniors....I'm all in favour of NOT taxing anyone over 65.
Pensions of seniors should be tax exempt.
I agree unless we're talking about millionaires here...
Violent young offenders in Ontario can be eligible for what is called the IRCS program, which is intensive rehabilitative custody and supervision. This is $100,000 in funding per inmate which has absolutley nothing to do with them getting "rehab". I've seen it spent on things like comic books, movies, and as a draw to pay correctional staff to supervise them one on one while the offender has their fun. I( know, I work in this joke of a system.
Just think what $100,000 could do for YOUR family, folks. A struggling family could have a house, or put their child through university.
No, lets give it to a violent thug who doesn't respect the rule of law in the first place while many other law abiding citizens are struggling to get by.
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The Correctional Grunt
Correctional Grunt - I love first-hand accounts. Thanks for chiming in here!
No, lets give it to a violent thug who doesn't respect the rule of law in the first place while many other law abiding citizens are struggling to get by.
And especially the disadvantaged, such as the disabled that Zac spoke about.
I had no idea there was such a program in place. Makes you wonder how many other such boondoggles are lurking out there in the shadows.
I had no idea there was such a program in place. Makes you wonder how many other such boondoggles are lurking out there in the shadows.
It is quite a mess.
If your looking for a good read on the subject, check out "Con Game" by Michael Harris.
Red Tory said..." Why don't we just kill them all and be done with it? There you go... consider it a modest proposal. Would that make you happy?"
I know you were being facetious, RT, but some of us support the return of capitol punishment. Did you miss me?
Did you miss me?
I sure did. Glad to see you back, Mac!
Mrs. Mac's arm is (finally) healing so I'm not quite as tasked as I was. The lesson learned is: vegetarians, especially female vegetarians, need to supplement with calcium above and beyond yogurt.
I'm so glad Mrs. Mac is doing better now! As for the calcium, yeah that's something all women need to remember. I take it your wife doesn't drink milk then? Or eat cheese?
No milk or cheese, just low-fat yogurt. In recent years, she's adjusted her diet to include a limited amount of chicken and selected fish at the recommendation of her MD because it's hard to get complete nutrition otherwise. That being said, she's fit & trim with much more energy than me.
She sounds like an awesome lady, Mac!
Better than I deserve.
Wow! It's so great to see a strong marriage. Kudos to both of you!
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