(a) The commissioner shall extend the limits of the place of confinement of an inmate, if there is reasonable cause to believe the inmate will honor his trust, by authorizing the inmate, under prescribed conditions, to work at paid employment or participate in a training program in the community on a voluntary basis while continuing as an inmate of the institution to which he is committed, provided that:

(1) Representatives of local union central bodies or similar labor union organizations are consulted;

(2) The paid employment will not result in the displacement of employed workers, be applied in skills, crafts, or trades in which there is a surplus of available gainful labor in the locality, or impair existing contracts for services; and

(3) The rates of pay and other conditions of employment will not be less than those paid or provided for work of a similar nature in the locality in which the work is to be performed.

(b) An inmate authorized to work at paid employment in the community under subsection (a) of this Code section shall comply with all rules and regulations promulgated by the board relative to the handling, disbursement, and holding in trust of all funds earned by the inmate while under the jurisdiction of the department. An amount determined to be the cost of the inmate's keep and confinement shall be deducted from the earnings of each inmate, and such amount shall be deposited in the treasury of the department; provided, however, that, if the inmate is assigned to a county correctional institution, the deducted amount shall be deposited in the treasury of the county to which the inmate is assigned. After the deduction for keep and confinement, the commissioner shall:

(1) Allow the inmate to draw from the balance a reasonable sum to cover his incidental expenses;

(2) Retain to the inmate's credit an amount as is deemed necessary to accumulate a reasonable sum to be paid to him on his release from the penal institution;

(3) Deduct from the inmate's funds any amounts necessary to cover the costs of medical or dental attention provided to the inmate, said deductions to be made in accordance with policies and procedures promulgated by the commissioner; and

(4) Cause to be paid any additional balance as is needed for the support of the inmate's dependents.

(c) No inmate employed in the community under subsection (a) of this Code section shall be deemed to be an agent, employee, or involuntary servant of the department while working in the community or going to and from his employment.

(d) The willful failure of an inmate to remain within the extended limits of his confinement or to return within the time prescribed to an institution designated by the commissioner shall be deemed an escape from a penal institution and shall be punishable by law.