§ 35-5. Working of prisoners generally.

(a)

Any person who has been convicted in the municipal court for the violation of any law of the state or any law or ordinance of the city, and has been committed to jail in default of the payment of the fine adjudged against him, may elect to labor in the city workhouse, on the city prison farm, on the public streets, on a city rock pile or on any public work or improvement in the city that may now or hereafter be authorized by the charter, a sufficient number of days to liquidate such fine; provided, in no event shall any prisoner who is physically unable to labor, as evidenced by a certificate from the city health officer, be permitted to labor under the provisions on this section.

(b)

Any prisoner who is permitted to labor shall be worked under the direction of the superintendent.

(c)

No prisoner shall be permitted to work more than eight full hours during one day at any labor named in this section.

(d)

Any prisoner permitted to labor under this section shall not be allowed to come in conflict with the employed laborers of the city, and when such persons are permitted to labor on the streets or other public works of the city, the person who has supervision of them shall first ask the city official having charge of the streets or other public works to designate the place where such prisoner shall be put to labor; provided, that should such official refuse to designate such place, then the person having supervision, or the mayor, shall put him at labor on such street or such public work as he may deem best and proper for the best interest of the public.

(Code 1968, § 35-6)