The government currently pays benefits to all residents age 65 and older, but Human Resources Minister Diane Finley argues that since inmates’ basic needs such as food and shelter are already met, there is no need for the government to also provide them with income support, according to the AFP.
The new rule would be applied first to inmates incarcerated in federal penitentiaries for two years or more.
The AFP reported that Ottawa said it is working to also include inmates serving sentences greater than 90 days in provincial and territorial jails.