Inmates in Brazilian Jail Cycle to Freedom

Brazilian inmate Ronaldo da Silva was making an escape of a sort as he hopped on a bicycle and pedaled furiously, clocking up several miles (kilometers) before jumping off.

Silva didn't get very far, in fact not an inch. He's still inside the medium-security prison where he's serving a 5.5-year sentence for holding up a bakery.

But he did move a bit closer to freedom on his stationary bike. Silva is part of an innovative program that allows inmates to reduce their sentences in exchange for generating power to help illuminate the town of Santa Rita do Sapucai at night.

By pedaling, the inmates charge a battery that powers 10 street lamps along a riverside promenade. For every three eight-hour days they spend on the bikes, Silva and the program's other volunteers get one day shaved off their sentences.

The project in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais is one of several across Brazil meant to cut recidivism by helping restore an inmate's sense of self-worth. Prisoners elsewhere can trim their sentences by reading sentences in books or taking classes.

Officials say they've heard a few complaints the initiatives are soft on criminals, but there's been little criticism in the country's press or in other public forums.

AP

"We used to spend all day locked up in our cells, only seeing the sun for two hours a day," said the 38-year-old Silva, whose missing front teeth speak to a life of hardship. "Now we're out in the fresh air, generating electricity for the town and at the same time we're winning our freedom."

Silva has already pedaled off 4 kilograms (9 pounds) and 20 days from his sentence.

Clad in red, prison-issue sweat pants and matching T-shirts, he and his fellow cyclists hit the bikes at around nine in the morning and ride until about 5 p.m., with breaks for lunch and an afternoon snack.

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Inmates in Brazilian Jail Cycle to Freedom