The Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled that welfare fraud must result in a prison sentence unless there are mitigating circumstances, she said. Judges and lawyers are reluctant to consider alternatives such as probation or community service. In many municipalities, welfare records are often laboriously compiled on paper, which makes fraud more difficult to detect. The province also wants to deposit payments directly into recipients' bank accounts to reduce theft and loss. Alberta, which has reduced the number of welfare recipients by 28,000 this year, has moved to a computerized system.
Some people refer to the scapegoating of poor people as poor-bashing .
The Riddles of Culture , by Marvin Harris, page 207. This powerful book refers to the theme of imperialism and holocaust.