A single high-security prison in Brazil began a pilot program for clean energy. Stationary exercise bikes are rigged up to car batteries to generate electrical power. Guards oversee a group of inmates that pedal furiously to generate the power.
The pilot program also benefits the prisoners. The inmates get 1 day reduced from their sentence for every 16 hours of pedaling they do. The electricity produced is used to light up the town at night to keep it safe.
A local judge came up with the idea for the program and local police and businesses made it happen. Now that there is light, the once abandoned riverside promenade is now robust with the added light.
The program is really benefiting the town as it makes people feel safe and they come out and celebrate life in the light of the inmate created electricity.