R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-18-1: Placement of offenders under director of corrections.

It shall be lawful for any court in the state, at any time before sentence, to provisionally place any offender, juvenile or adult, who can lawfully be admitted to bail, under the control and supervision of the director of corrections or the director’s designee or any probation officer that the director may designate, and whenever any offender shall be placed in the custody or under the control and supervision of the director or designee or of any designated probation officer, the director or designee and the probation officer shall have and exercise the same rights and powers in relation to the offender as are or may be possessed by a surety on a recognizance.