The county commissioners may authorize the employment of prisoners committed for crime, for the benefit of the county or of their dependent families, in some suitable manner not inconsistent with their security and the discipline of the prison. The commissioners may pay the proceeds of that labor, less a reasonable sum to be deducted for the cost of maintenance of those prisoners, to the dependent families of the prisoners. [PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]

This section does not apply to section 1603 and section 1606, subsection 1. [PL 2023, c. 405, Pt. A, §109 (AMD).]