Inmates and Inoculations

                                                                   Christ in Prison -- Robert Lenz

Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, 

I was in prison and you visited me.’

Matthew 25:34-36

Most Canadians are looking forward to receiving an inoculation which will protect us from the current form of COVID-19, as well as its variants. The supply has stalled for the moment, but we'll get there, probably by the Fall. My wife Ruth and I are of an age that we'll be slightly ahead in the queue, but there are a lot of people ahead of us, and that's the way it should be because we're healthy and can make choices to stay that way. .

What about those who have been convicted of crimes, inmates in our federal prisons? There have been significant COVID outbreaks in jails and prisons, which shouldn't surprise us given that inmates live in close proximity to one another. The federal government’s COVID-19 vaccination effort includes a plan to immunize high-risk prisoners in federal prisons, the elderly and unhealthy.. This would only be about 600 inmates,or about four per cent of the prison population. Just the same, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Erin O'Toole declared “Not one criminal should be vaccinated ahead of any vulnerable Canadian or frontline health worker,” 

There are lots of people who figure that if persons have been convicted of crimes and are inmates in prison they can, and perhaps should be treated, inhumanely, that punishment should be disproportionately harsh. When I spent a summer at a chaplain intern in Kingston Penitentiary 40 years ago some Christians expressed their opinions that inmates shouldn't be allowed out in the yard for exercise, or to watch television.The meanness of spirit rattled me. 

We don't have the death penalty in Canada anymore but not vaccinating vulnerable inmates could be the equivalent.Someone has also noted that there are millions of Canadians with criminal convictions of some kind. Do they go to the back of the line for the jab?  And what about the exposure of prison staff members? 

Navigating our way through this pandemic will require consistent compassion, generosity, and grace. Apparently Mr. O'Toole is a Roman Catholic.Christian. Perhaps some bible study would be helpful, particularly the teaching of Jesus.Tho medical personnel administering vaccines could be seen as inoculating Christ, if we believe what we read. And bye the way, prison inmates are Canadian citizens and do not relinquish their civil or human rights when they are incarcerated.