How Brazilian inmates can pedal their way to freedom

By Tecca | Today in Tech –

Brazil's new program aims to keep inmates fit and help keep the public safe

You've probably heard of the dancing inmates that took the internet by storm, but what about pedaling, electricity-generating inmates? In a small prison in Minas Gerais, Brazil, prisoners are given the chance reduce their sentences and even help the public, simply by exercising. Inmates who are part of the program spend their days pedaling on exercise bikes that can generate electricity, and three eight-hour shifts reduce an inmate's sentence by one day.
According to a recent BBC report, the electricity they generate is kept in old car batteries, which are then used to light up street lamps located along what used to be a dark and shady road. But that's not the extent of the project's benefits: Inmates also say they're now much fitter than before. No word yet on whether the same project would be implemented in other prisons in the country.
[via TheNextWeb]

This article was written by Mariella Moon and originally appeared on Tecca

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