TORONTO - Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak says he'll put provincial prisoners to work if he becomes Ontario's next premier.
He says prisoners would be forced to rake leaves, clean graffiti and pick up trash under a Conservative government.
Convicted criminals would have to perform 40 hours of manual labour a week to earn credits that they can use for rewards such as TV time and coffee.
Hudak says it would be the first mandatory work program for prisoners in Canada.
He says the party would allocate $20 million to fund the program, which would see convicts work outside prison grounds.
The election promise is reminiscent of former premier Mike Harris' "workfare" program, which forced able-bodied people on welfare to work for their benefits.
