According to Correctional Services Canada, the average annual cost of maintaining federal prisoners in Canada in 2004-2005 was $88,067 ($40,000 - $220,000). In contrast, the total annual expenditure per student in Canada during the same time period was $8726 (public elementary and secondary schools).

Tough on Crime or Tough on Students?

Between 2004-2005 and 2008-2009 school years, spending on schools in Canada increased by 16.7%, or only $1453 per pupil. This figure includes operating expenses and salaries of all employees, and is a fraction of the amount spent on prisons. Boards of Education in Canadian provinces have been desperately trying to cover budget shortfalls for many years, including the cost of seismic upgrading for schools in B.C.

In British Columbia, the Teachers' Federation (BCTF) is especially concerned with the 28% increase to independent schools, compared to an 8.6% increase for public schools since 2006. The new full day Kindergarten program will require 63 million dollars, which accounts for the majority of the increase in the overall education budget. Whether provincial expenditures on schools are considered, or per student/inmate across the country, it is obvious that education is being compromised by spending on prisons that haven't been shown to be effective in reducing recidivism.