Inmates in one of Brazil’s prison can now pedal their way to freedom all while helping save the environment.

Prisoners at the Santa Rita do Sapucia prison can ride electricity-generating stationery bikes to charge batteries that are used in nearby communities to power everything from streetlights to light bulbs.  For every 16 hours a prisoner rise on a prison bike they get one day off their prison sentence.

The prison program, created by Judge Jose Henrique Mallmann, is not mandatory but is very popular.  Brazil has another popular prison program that allows inmates to reduce their sentence by reading books and writing reports.  The “Redemption Through Reading” program allows a prisoner to reduce his/her sentence by as many as 48 days per years while reading four books each week.

Allegedly the Judge Mallmann, got the idea from none other than “America’s Toughest Sheriff” Joe Arpaio.  He has a prison exercise plan where inmates pedal for TV privileges.