{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-473.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-473.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-473.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-473.1.html"}],"law_id":80656,"edition_id":1,"section_id":80656,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-473.1","catch_line":"Communication with prisoners or committed person; penalty","history":"1982, c. 636; 2000, c. 286; 2013, cc. 707, 782.","full_text":"It shall be unlawful for any person outside of any state or local correctional facility or any juvenile correctional center, other than the jailers or custodial officers in charge of the prisoners or in charge of the persons committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice, to communicate without authority by word or sign with the intent to disrupt institutional operations with any prisoner confined within a state or local correctional facility or with any person committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice in any juvenile correctional center. Any person violating this section is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":289069,"text":"It shall be unlawful for any person outside of any state or local correctional facility or any juvenile correctional center, other than the jailers or custodial officers in charge of the prisoners or in charge of the persons committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice, to communicate without authority by word or sign with the intent to disrupt institutional operations with any prisoner confined within a state or local correctional facility or with any person committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice in any juvenile correctional center. Any person violating this section is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13247,"edition_id":1,"name":"Escape of, Communications with and Deliveries to Prisoners","identifier":"7","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13246,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","permalink":{"id":164431,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13247,"identifier":"7","token":"18.2\/10\/7","url":"\/18.2\/10\/7\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13246,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes Against the Administration of Justice","identifier":"10","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12972,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","permalink":{"id":164221,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13246,"identifier":"10","token":"18.2\/10","url":"\/18.2\/10\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12972,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes and Offenses Generally","identifier":"18.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","permalink":{"id":164139,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12972,"identifier":"18.2","token":"18.2","url":"\/18.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":86161,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-473","catch_line":"Persons aiding escape of prisoner or child","url":"\/18.2-473\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-473","metadata":false},{"id":80656,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-473.1","catch_line":"Communication with prisoners or committed person; penalty","url":"\/18.2-473.1\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-473.1","metadata":false},{"id":84559,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-473.2","catch_line":"Covering a security camera in a correctional facility; penalty","url":"\/18.2-473.2\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-473.2","metadata":false},{"id":81881,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-474","catch_line":"Delivery of articles to prisoners or committed person","url":"\/18.2-474\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-474","metadata":false},{"id":78113,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-474.1","catch_line":"Delivery of drugs, firearms, explosives, etc., to prisoners or committed persons","url":"\/18.2-474.1\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-474.1","metadata":false},{"id":54247,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-474.2","catch_line":"Bribery in correctional facilities; penalty","url":"\/18.2-474.2\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-474.2","metadata":false},{"id":77301,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-475","catch_line":"Officers, etc., voluntarily allowing person convicted, charged, or adjudicated delinquent of felony to escape; penalty","url":"\/18.2-475\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-475","metadata":false},{"id":68970,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-476","catch_line":"Officers, etc., willfully and deliberately permitting person convicted of, charged with, or adjudicated delinquent of a nonfelonious offense to escape or willfully refusing to receive person; penalty","url":"\/18.2-476\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-476","metadata":false},{"id":74785,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-477","catch_line":"Prisoner escaping from jail; how punished","url":"\/18.2-477\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-477","metadata":false},{"id":71093,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-477.1","catch_line":"Escapes from juvenile facility; penalty","url":"\/18.2-477.1\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-477.1","metadata":false},{"id":69096,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-477.2","catch_line":"Punishment for certain offenses committed within a secure juvenile facility or detention home","url":"\/18.2-477.2\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-477.2","metadata":false},{"id":70244,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-478","catch_line":"Escape from jail or custody by force or violence without setting fire to jail; penalty","url":"\/18.2-478\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-478","metadata":false},{"id":60333,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-479","catch_line":"Escape without force or violence or setting fire to jail; penalties","url":"\/18.2-479\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-479","metadata":false},{"id":82772,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-479.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-479.1\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-479.1","metadata":false},{"id":76492,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-480","catch_line":"Escape, etc., by setting fire to jail","url":"\/18.2-480\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-480","metadata":false},{"id":77023,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-480.1","catch_line":"Admissibility of records of Department of Corrections in escape cases","url":"\/18.2-480.1\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-480.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":86161,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-473","catch_line":"Persons aiding escape of prisoner or child","url":"\/18.2-473\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-473","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":84559,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-473.2","catch_line":"Covering a security camera in a correctional facility; penalty","url":"\/18.2-473.2\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-473.2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-473.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1982. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 636 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1982 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 2000, chapter 286<\/a>; in 2013, chapters 707<\/a> and 782<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":164437,"object_type":"law","relational_id":80656,"identifier":"18.2-473.1","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-473.1","url":"\/18.2-473.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-473.1\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-473.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Communication with prisoners or committed person; penalty","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-473.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

It shall be unlawful for any person outside of any state or local correctional facility or any juvenile correctional center, other than the jailers or custodial officers in charge of the prisoners or in charge of the persons committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice, to communicate without authority by word or sign with the intent<\/span> to disrupt institutional operations with any prisoner confined within a state or local correctional facility or with any person committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice in any juvenile correctional center. Any person violating this section is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCOMMUNICATION WITH PRISONERS OR COMMITTED PERSON; PENALTY (\u00a7 18.2-473.1)\n\nIt shall be unlawful for any person outside of any state or local correctional\nfacility or any juvenile correctional center, other than the jailers or\ncustodial officers in charge of the prisoners or in charge of the persons\ncommitted to the Department of Juvenile Justice, to communicate without\nauthority by word or sign with the intent to disrupt institutional operations\nwith any prisoner confined within a state or local correctional facility or with\nany person committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice in any juvenile\ncorrectional center. Any person violating this section is guilty of a Class 4\nmisdemeanor.\n\nHISTORY: 1982, c. 636; 2000, c. 286; 2013, cc. 707, 782.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}