Conservatives say a suspicious document was made to sway prisoners against them. We looked into it

Three Conservative candidates have recently come under fire for sharing what appears to be a fake government document aimed at influencing inmates to vote against their party. Ron Chhinzer, Larry Brock, and Frank Caputo all shared the document on social media, with Chhinzer and Brock insinuating that the Liberal Party may be behind the move.

The document, which was purportedly found in a prison and handed over by a correctional officer, was scrutinized by CBC News’ visual investigations team. It was determined that the document is likely an edited version of a real government webpage that has no connection to prisons. In fact, the page is actually about learning how to file taxes, not about influencing inmates’ voting decisions.

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) also confirmed that they found no evidence of the document circulating in correctional facilities and clarified that it was not an authentic government document.

The fake document includes elements related to the Conservative Party’s crime proposals, such as the creation of a “three strikes” rule for serious crimes and designating dangerous offenders. However, it also includes proposals that the Conservatives have not put forward, like requiring inmates in maximum security facilities to wear orange jumpsuits and removing TVs, which raised suspicions about its authenticity.

There are several glaring errors in the document, including spelling mistakes and odd formatting. The document also includes a file path in the bottom left corner, indicating that it may have been printed from a computer and edited poorly.

The Conservatives defended the document, stating that a correctional officer had provided it and that it was found in a prison. They pointed to a statement from CSC that did not explicitly deny the document’s circulation but rather stated that it was not currently in circulation. The Liberal campaign, on the other hand, referred to the CSC statement when asked for comment.

In light of these developments, it is crucial to verify the authenticity of any documents shared online before jumping to conclusions. Misinformation can easily spread on social media, and it is essential to fact-check information to prevent false narratives from influencing public opinion.