§14-8-33. Adoption of regulations and policies for extension of limits of confinement of inmates; assignment and transfer of state inmates participating in programs; protests by sentencing judges, etc., as to participation by inmates in programs within counties in which convicted.

(a) Each county electing to establish a work release program under this article is authorized to adopt regulations and policies for extending the limits of the place of confinement of an inmate as to whom there is reasonable cause to believe will know his trust by authorizing him, under prescribed conditions, to leave the confines of that place unaccompanied by a custodial agent for a prescribed period of time to work at paid employment while continuing as an inmate of the institution or facility in which he shall be confined except during the hours of his employment or seeking employment and traveling thereto and therefrom.

(b) A state inmate approved by the board for participation in a work release program established under this article shall be initially assigned to the county of his choice if such county has established a program under this article and if such program can practically accommodate the inmate in view of the number of participants already in the program and the availability of housing and paid employment opportunities for which the inmate is suited. Subsequent transfer requests must be approved by the board. The board may transfer a state inmate on its own motion upon written statement of good cause given to the inmate; provided, however, that the sentencing judge or district attorney for the county in which an inmate was convicted may protest the participation of the inmate in a work release program in that county. Such protests may be made in the same manner as protests of paroles.

(Acts 1976, No. 637, p. 883, §3.)