OTTAWA, June 1 (UPI) -- Canadian lawmakers are considering ending Old Age Security and other benefits received by federal inmates, a Cabinet minister said Tuesday.
Human Resources Minister Diane Finley said in Ottawa the issue of inmates over 65 years old and in prison for two years or more came to light in a Toronto Sun article in March about Clifford Olson, an inmate who receives such benefits, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
Olson, who is serving 11 consecutive life sentences for the killings of 11 children and has shown no remorse, is collecting $1,000 per month in benefits. That money, along with $100,000 Olson received from the police to lead them to the victims' bodies, is being held in trust for Olson's estranged wife and son, the CBC reported.
"Canadians who work hard, who contribute to the system, who play by the rules deserve government benefits such as Old Age Security. It's wrong, and obviously unfair, that prisoners who break the rules receive the same entitlements," Finley said. "It is deeply insulting to the victims and to their families."
The changes are expected to affect about 400 federal inmates, and could eventually affect another 600 inmates held at provincial and territorial level corrections facilities, Finley said.
