The executive director of the John Howard Society disagrees with recent comments from federal Conservative leader Erin O’Toole regarding the vaccination of inmates against COVID-19.

O’Toole tweeted last week that “Not one criminal should be vaccinated ahead of any vulnerable Canadian or front line health worker.”

He was responding to news that federal inmates were set to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

Cindy Murphy says O’Toole’s views are highly political and it implies “that people in the criminal justice system don’t deserve the same level of health care as you or me.”

It is virtually impossible for Inmates in the corrections system to physically distance, and staff must come and go from the facility, adding to the possibility of spread.

She says when a person is sentenced to incarceration, their punishment is a loss of freedom, but they still have access to health care.

Murphy says who gets vaccinated should be prioritized within the inmate population the same as outside the prison walls, with seniors and those with underlying health conditions to be vaccinated first.