Chap. 209.—An ACT making it lawful for the county courts and justices
yeace in Giles, Pulaski, Craig, Lee, Wise, Buchanan, Dickenson, Monty
“rederick and Shenandoah counties to sentence certain criminals to wor.

the roads, farms, or other public works in said counties, or on the strects
town in said counties, and prescribing penalty for persons thus sentence
escape or attempt to escape ; and to empower the several boards of supe
of said counties to make rules concerning the working of criminals so sent
and to provide suitable buildings for the care and custody of said crimin

Apppoved February 7, 1898.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That it sh
lawful, if in their discretion they deem it advisable, for the c
courts and justices of the peace in the counties of Giles, Pulaski,
Lee, Wise, Buchanan, Dickenson, Montgomery, Frederick and Sl]
doah, respectively, where persons are convicted of misdemeanors |
to pay fines or costs imposed upon them in criminal cases to set
said persons to work upon the county farms or the public roads or
public works of their respective counties, subject to the manageme!
control to be prescribed by the boards of supervisors of their resp
counties, or to work in the streets of any towns in said respective
ties, subject to the control of the municipal authorities of said
instead of sentencing said persons to confinement in the county j:
prescribed by the general law; but no person shall, under this a
sentenced to work on said farms, roads,. public works or streets
longer period than he or she might have been sentenced to confin

fT! mf
in the county jail under the general law of this state. When such per-
son 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
eared for by the authorities and at the expense of said town, where any
person is sentenced to work under this act... The oflicer in whose charge
he is shall dehver him to such person as the court or Justice may direct.

2. Where a person has becn sentenced to work under the preceding
section, and shall escape or attempt to escape before the expiration of
sud sentence from the custody of the person or persons in whose charge
he may be, he may be pursued, captured and re-taken by any person,
without w: irrant, at any time within five vears, and carried back to the
custody of the authorities from whom he esc aped, 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 oseuping or attempting to escape.

The board of supervisors of the said) counties, respectively, are
he TO hy separately and severally enrpowered to miuke such rales and rec-
ulations as the Woamay deem necessary for the working and guarding ot
persons sentenced to work as aforesaid in their rexpeetive counties, ane
to provide such buildings in their respective counties as they may deem
necessary for the proper care and custody of said persons while working
as before named, and to provide for the proper feeding and clothing of
said persons while working out the time for which they were sentenced:
provided, nothing in this act shall be construed so as to Impose any
ereater expense upon the commonwealth than would arise if the prisoner
remained in jail.

4. This act shall be in force from its passage.