Some governments reduce the sentences of prisoners in exchange for their willingness to participate in self-improvement activities or to be of service to the community. In Brazil, for example, prisoners can reduce their sentences by reading books and then writing book reports. Another way for a Brazilian prisoner to reduce his or her sentence is by riding a stationary bicycle that is hooked up to a generator. The power generated charges streetlight batteries.
More about reducing prison sentences:
- The federal prison system in the US no longer offers parole, but it does offer prisoners a slight decrease in sentences if the prisoners behave well while incarcerated. The federal prison system also provides larger reductions to prisoners who have been approved for a 500-hour residential drug treatment program.
- Some prisoners can get a reduction in their sentences for reporting statements made by other prisoners to the authorities. If the authorities can use the information to solve a crime or successfully prosecute another criminal, the person who reported the statements might receive a sentence reduction or some improvement in his or her conditions.
- In the US, some state governments have passed laws to restrict giving time off for good behavior to prisoners who are incarcerated for violent crimes.