Shades of The Matrix! Brazilian inmates tapped to recharge batteries

Inmates and administrators of a jail in Brazil are taking part in a high-tech, win-win solution where prisoners ride special bikes to recharge batteries in exchange for getting their sentences commuted.

 

Prisoners participating in the program at Santa Rita do Sapucai prison will have one day removed from their sentences for every 16 hours they spend on the special bikes, tech site Mashable reported.

 

"So they’re trading hard time for the most literal form of manpower in existence," it said.

 

But aside from the shortened sentences, the prisoners also get other benefits: they can fight boredom while staying in shape.

 

City judge Jose Henrique Mallmann thought of the idea from other prisons that offer incentives for similar activities, the report said.

 

On the other hand, the batteries they charge are brought to the city center at night to power street lights.

 

"It’s become so popular with the inmates that they’re looking to add another eight bikes to the rosters, which would put the prison at having a total of 10 bikes to charge batteries," Mashable said.

 

However, it noted these bikes could provide enough energy only to light a single avenue - at least for now.

 

With enough bikes, the report said the prisoners could theoretically power the entire city. — TJD, GMA News