Prisoner's bike power charges batteries...Brazil
Here.
"Brazils Santa Rita do Sapucaí prison has found a new source of alternative energy: its own prisoners. The prison has offered to shave time off of prisoners sentences if theyll charge batteries using special bikes and their own two legs.
Jornal Nacional reports that city judge José Henrique Mallmann got the idea for his battery-charging bikes from other prisons that offer prisoners incentives for riding bikes. For example, in Phoenix, Ariz.'s Tent City Jail, female prisoners are required to pedal a stationary bicycle when they watch television, with the bike generating enough energy to power the TV set. Under Mallmann's plan, however, prisoners can actually reduce their sentences by pedaling, albeit a little bit at a time. For every 16 hours a prisoner pedals, he shaves a day off of his sentence. ..."
Giving people real work to do in prison is good for them, moral, safety (within limits), though it can create unwarranted profits and get in the way of fairness. Here, at least, they take time off the sentence, which is not something I have seen before. Almost like a hybrid prison/community service sentence...
from:
http://www.business-opportunities.biz