Tim Hudak says the Ontario government is coddling criminals with yoga and writing courses when it should be supporting the families and victims affected by violent crime.
The Progressive Conservative leader made the statement on Wednesday, one day after the Liberals announced that inmates would no longer be provided with extended cable packages, limiting prisons instead to basic channels.
Hudak said cancelling the premium channels once available to more than 6,000 prisoners was a start, but something still had to be done about the yoga classes and creative writing courses made available to inmates.
He said at the same time, families affected by violent crimes are being refused financial support from the government.
"It shows how warped the priorities have become," Hudak told reports from Queen's Park.
For years, inmates have enjoyed specialty channels and some jails have even offered high definition programs. While television is a calming factor in prisons, Corrections Minister Jim Bradley said VIP packages are too much.
Bradley said the other programs Hudak was complaining about were organized by volunteers from churches and charity groups at no cost to the taxpayer.
"They recognize that ultimately people who are in prisons are going to be released," Bradley said Wednesday. "They want to try to ensure that when they are released that they are going to be contributing members of society."
Hudak said he was told there was some cost involved but was not provided dollar amounts.
With files from The Canadian Press
