This bill amends West Virginia Code §17-5-1 to make all inmates, regardless of gender, eligible to work on the state convict road force. The current law specifies that only male inmates convicted of a felony and sentenced to imprisonment can be part of this workforce. The proposed changes remove the gender-specific language, allowing female inmates to participate in road work alongside their male counterparts.

Additionally, the bill introduces a provision stating that no road crew assembled under this article shall be composed of both male and female persons, which implies that while both genders can be eligible for work, they will be separated into different crews. This amendment aims to expand opportunities for female inmates while maintaining operational guidelines for the road crews.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 17-5-1