Whenever a fine payable in whole or in part, to any city, town, or society, or to any person as complainant, shall have been liquidated by the labor of the person fined, or paid by him or her at any jail in the state, the general treasurer shall, upon the proper order of the state controller, pay to the city, town, society or person so much of the amount of the fine so liquidated or paid, as the city, town, society, or person may be entitled to, which order of the state controller shall be by him or her drawn on his or her receiving a proper return or certificate from the clerk of the court in which the fine was imposed, together with a proper return or certificate from the jailer.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-21-18