CODE OF VIRGINIA

CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF HIGHWAYS; GRASS CUTTING; ACQUISITION OF
QUARRIES, ETC.; USE OF MATERIALS FOR COUNTY ROADS (§ 53.1-56)

Persons sentenced to the Department shall, so far as practicable, be employed in
the construction and maintenance of the primary state highway system and
secondary system of state highways, and to this end may be used in rock
quarries, gravel pits and other plants in the preparation of materials for
construction and maintenance of roads and in the maintenance of any or all
medians and other nontraveled portions of such highways. Persons sentenced to
the Department may also be employed in the maintenance of the rest areas along
the Interstate Highway System, providing that such maintenance activities are
jointly approved by the Department and the Virginia Department of Transportation
based on the safety of the traveling public.The Commonwealth Transportation
Board may acquire out of the proceeds of the money, now or hereafter available
for construction and maintenance of the primary state highway system and
secondary system, such quarries, gravel pits or plants as may in its opinion be
necessary for such work. The Board shall on the request of any county road
authorities allow such county road authorities to take from such quarries or
gravel pits or shall sell to such county road authorities at cost of production
such materials as may be required to be used for the construction and
maintenance of county roads. This arrangement shall in no way interfere with the
furnishing of materials by the Board for the maintenance or construction of the
primary state highway system and secondary system.The Department of
Transportation shall make requisition from time to time upon the Director for
the number of prisoners it deems necessary for the work on the primary state
highway system or secondary system or for the preparation of road material for
road construction and maintenance, in the maintenance of any or all medians and
other nontraveled portions of such highways, and in the maintenance of the rest
areas along the Interstate Highway System. The number of prisoners so
requisitioned shall be furnished subject to availability as determined by the
Director of the Department of Corrections.Fifteen days prior to a
prisoner’s participation in the program, the Director shall give the chief
of police, sheriff or local chief law-enforcement official of the locality in
which the prisoner will work, notice of the prisoner’s participation. Such
notice shall include the name, address and criminal history of the prisoner, in
addition to other information the chief of police or such officer may request.
The transmission of information shall be confidential and not subject to the
Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.).

HISTORY: Code 1950, § 53-109; 1970, c. 648; 1974, c. 128; 1982, c. 636; 1989,
c. 652; 2010, c. 128; 2011, cc. 40, 48; 2013, cc. 585, 646.