Any person in this state convicted of a crime who, as a result of such conviction, is confined as a prisoner in a county jail of any county may, at the discretion of the board of county commissioners of such county in which the jail is located, be required by the board of county commissioners to perform road work on the public highways of the county and upon the streets of any municipality located in the county. When such prisoner shall perform the road work in a satisfactory manner, under the supervision of any road supervisor of the county or municipality having jurisdiction over the person, the prisoner shall be entitled to two (2) day's credit on his time in the jail for each day consisting of eight (8) hours of road work performed by the person and he shall be recorded as having served two (2) days in the jail on his judgment and sentence. Any road supervisor having under his supervision any prisoner or prisoners for the purpose of performing road work, as herein provided, shall be deputized as a deputy sheriff or special police officer with full authority of law as deputy sheriff or police officer for the purpose of properly carrying out the provisions of this section and shall be responsible under the law in the same manner as other officers are responsible for safekeeping of prisoners and shall be subject to the same penalties.
Laws 1968, c. 415, § 615, operative July 1, 1968.