COUNTING THE HEALTH-CARE COSTS OF CODDLING THOSE WHO BEAT US UP AND
RIP US OFF

Being in prison isn't a prospect most people relish. And having one's
freedom restricted is usually punishment in itself.

That may even be true in one of Canada's notorious "Club Feds"-- like
the Ferndale minimum-security prison in Mission, where inmates live in
comfortable townhouse-style accommodation and can enroll in a
University of B.C. organic farming course.

In Joliette, a Quebec women's prison, offenders are allowed TVs and
video games in their private rooms, and can even shop by mail from
Sears and Wal-Mart.

At Abbotsford's new $17 million Fraser Valley Institution for women,
the prisoners are offered "psychiatric, psychological, aboriginal and
spiritual services" in near-luxury surroundings.

For some model prisoners, such treatment may set back them on the
straight and narrow, and create newly productive members of society.

But is this degree of coddling really necessary, especially when the
rest of us are paying for it?

Last week, we learned that Canadian taxpayers shelled out $81.5
million in 2004 on health-care costs for federal prisoners -- an
average of $6,500 per inmate.

That's an increase of 26 per cent from five years ago. It's also about
twice the health-care costs for the average Canadian.

"I think that taxpayers are right to be concerned about that,"
Canadian Taxpayers Federation research director Bruce Winchester told
The Province Friday.

The Correctional Service of Canada was quick to point out last week
that many inmates have lived hard lives, and so can be expected to be
less healthy. But, in federal jail, prisoners are able to enjoy
healthy food and physical exercise.

Besides, part of the health-care money was spent doling out methadone
to drug-addicted prisoners. Indeed, over the past two years, the cost
of supplying the methadone jumped to more than $5 million from $1.85
million.

Is that an appropriate use of taxpayers' hard-earned cash?

Prisoners are entitled to have their basic health-care needs covered.

However, we wonder whether victims of serious crime agree that those
who beat them up or ripped them off should be treated better than
law-abiding citizens.