Chap. 398.—An ACT to authorize the counties and cities of the State to
establish county or city farms, and providing for the use of the same, and
for the government and support of persons confined therein. [H B 94]

Approved March 24, 1922.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the
board of supervisors of any county or the council of any city of this
State may, within their respective jurisdiction or elsewhere, establish
and maintain a farm where any pedson convicted of misdemeanor or
violation of city ordinances, and sentenced to confinement in the jail
of said county, or city, or to be confined for failure to pay any fine or
cost as provided by law, may be confined and required to do such
work as may be assigned him or her during the term of sentence
aforesaid, under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by
the administrator of said farm. .

2. Said city or county farm shall be under the supervision, con-
trol and management of the council in cities, and the said council may
exercise said control either directly or through a farm board appointed
for that purpose, said board to be composed of not less than three
nor more than five men and women who shall serve without com-
pensation and whose terms of office shall be so arranged that not
all of them will expire in any period of two years; and, in countie:
said farm shall be under the supervision, control and management
of a farm board to be appointed by the board of supervisors, saic
farm board to be constituted as in cities where farm boards are
authorized by this section; provided, however, that in the event
city or county farm shall be established and operated by two or more
cities or counties jointly, that the method of control shall be deter-
mined by the councils and boards of supervisors of the cities and
counties so establishing and operating said farm: and provided, fur-
ther, that nothing in this act shall be construed to prevent the oper-
ation of such farm through the city sergeant or the county sheriff
if the governing body should so determine.

3. All prisoners convicted and sentenced as aforesaid shall be
required to work on said farm unless for good cause shown the judge
of the circuit court of the county or the judge of the corporation or
hustings court of the city in whose jail the prisoner is confined,
shall otherwise order, and provided, further, that any male prisoner
so convicted and sentenced may, in the discretion of the judge afore-
said, be sent to work on said farm or the public roads as now provided
by law, as will be for the best interest of the prisoner and the
Commonwealth.

4. Any county or city that has no farm may enter into an agree-
ment with some county or city maintaining such farm to receive and
work all persons liable to confinement and work them as aforesaid,
on such terms and conditions as to the payment of board, medical
expenses‘and clothing as may be mutually agree upon by the board
of supervisors of the county or the council of the city.

5. With the consent of the county or city maintaining such
farm, the State may commit any person liable to confinement and
work on such farm to said farm, and shall pay said county or city
maintaining such farm the fees and expenses now or hereafter allowed
to jailors, which payment shall be made when approved and certified
by the judge of the county or.city owning said farm.

6. Said county or city farm may be used as a demonstrating farm
by agreement between the State board of agriculture and the county
or city maintaining and operating said farm.

7. All expenses of maintaining said farm, supporting the pris-
oners worked thereon, including board, clothing and medical attention,
shall be borne by the county or city owning such farm, except as
herein otherwise provided.

8. All acts and parts of acts in conflict with this act are hereby
repealed. .

9. A similar act having been omitted by inadvertence from the
Code of nineteen hundred and nineteen, and several farm boards
having been constituted under said act, and being now in operation,
an emergency is declared to exist, and this act shall take effect from
its passage.