Chap. 785.—An ACT making it lawful for the county courts and justices in
Isle of Wight, Nansemond, Southampton, Clarke, and Fauquier counties to
sentence certaincriminals to work upon the roads, farms, or other public
works in said counties, oron the streets of any town in said counties, and pre-
scribing penalty for persons thus sentenced who escape or attempt to escape.

Approved March 4, 1896.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That it shall
be lawful, if in their discretion they deem it advisable for the county
courts and justices of the peace in the counties of Isle of Wight,
Nansemond, Southampton, Clarke, and Fauquier, respectively, where
persons are convicted of misdemeanors or fail to pay fines or costs
imposed upon them in criminal cases, to sentence said persons to
work upon the county farms or the public roads, or other public
works of their respective counties, subject to the management and
control to be prescribed by the boards of supervisors of their respec-
tive counties, or to work on the streets of any towns in said respec-
tive counties, subject to the control of the municipal authorities of
said town, instead of sentencing said persons to confinement in the
county jail, as prescribed by the general law. But no person shall,
under this act, be sentenced to work on said farms, roads, public
works, or streets for a longer period than he or she might have
been sentenced to confinement in the county jail under the general
law of this state. Where such person or persons are sentenced to
work upon the streets of any town, they shall, for the period for
which they were sentenced be guarded and cared for by the author-
ities and at the expense of said town. Where any person is sen-
tenced to work under this act the officer in whose charge he is shall
deliver him to such person as the court or justice may direct.

2. Where a person has been sentenced to work under the preceding
section and shall escape, or attempt to escape, before the expiration
of said sentence from the custody of the person or persons in whose
charge he may be, he may be pursued, captured, and retaken by any
person, without warrant, at any time within five years and carried
back to the custody of the authorities from whom he escaped, and
in every such case one month shall be added to his or her term
of labor in addition to the term for which he or she was originally
sentenced as a penalty for escaping or attempting to escape.

3. This act shall be in force from its passage.
862 ACTS OF ASSEMBLY.