WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2025 REGULAR SESSION
FISCAL NOTE
FISCAL NOTE
Introduced
House Bill 3178
By Delegates Martin, Flanigan, Brooks, Mallow, Vance, and Kump
[Introduced March 06, 2025; referred to the Committee on the Judiciary]
A BILL to amend and reenact ยง17-5-1 of the Code of West Virginia,1931, as amended, relating to making all inmates, regardless of gender, eligible to work on a state convict road force.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
## ARTICLE 5. STATE CONVICT ROAD FORCE.
All male persons convicted of a felony and, sentenced to imprisonment or confinement in the penitentiary a correctional facility by any court, or who may hereafter be sentenced for a felony, whether actually sentenced to labor or not, or so many thereof as may be required by the state road commissioner, shall, as incident to such sentence or confinement, constitute the state convict road force and as such may be employed under the supervision of the state road commissioner in building, surfacing and maintaining roads under the supervision of the state road commissioner, including all roads in the state road system, and in and about any quarries, gravel pits, sandbanks, crushers, brick kilns, or other plants and places operated by the state road commission for the manufacture and acquisition of materials for use in the construction, maintenance and repair of such roads: Provided, That no road crew assembled under this article shall be composed of both male and female persons.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to allow female inmates to work on the state convict road crews.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.