I would like to draw your attention to section 78 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act. That section provides for detainees to help pay for their housing and food costs, in proportion to the benefits they receive. So that is already included in section 78 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act. In other words, there is already a legislative mechanism allowing the Correctional Service to withhold part of the benefits that an older person might receive in prison, e.g., Old Age Security, and force the detainee to help pay for food and housing costs.
However, to date, the regulation has never been applied or been the subject of any guidelines. Why is that so? I cannot answer that question. Be that as it may, that section of the current Corrections Act could be implemented at any time.
It is said that Bill C-31 is intended to reestablish an element of fairness. Indeed, I believe that the Old Age Security Act, as it relates to incarcerated persons, creates an unfair situation as compared with older people living in society. However, we think that such administrative changes would be far less drastic than to completely exclude incarcerated persons from the social assistance system. An added benefit to that approach is that it would not compromise the principle of universality, while correcting the existing unfairness.
According to the current Correctional Service regulations, incarcerated persons are asked to contribute 30%, but that level could be increased to 40% or 50%, or lowered to 20%. I do not have the answer; that is something that needs to be discussed. That would allow older people to contribute to food and shelter costs, while retaining some of the money for their own personal expenses. We might even consider using part of the money to create a fund that could help them to eventually reintegrate their communities. Obviously, people aged 65 and over who return to the their communities no longer have a home, or anything for that matter, and will need help. Besides, the remainder of the savings could simply be used, as you are proposing—and I think that victims' organizations—