{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-473.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-473.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-473.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-473.html"}],"law_id":86161,"edition_id":1,"section_id":86161,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-473","catch_line":"Persons aiding escape of prisoner or child","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-284; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1984, c. 587; 1989, c. 733; 1996, cc. 755, 914.","full_text":"When a person is lawfully detained as a prisoner in any jail or prison or held in custody, or when a child is placed in a local juvenile detention home, or committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice in any juvenile correctional center, or Reception and Diagnostic Center for Children or held in custody, if any person: (1) conveys anything into the jail, prison, juvenile detention home, juvenile correctional center or Reception and Diagnostic Center for Children with intent to facilitate a person’s escape therefrom, (2) in any way aids such prisoner or child to escape, or in an attempt to escape, from such jail, prison, juvenile detention home, juvenile correctional center, Reception and Diagnostic Center for Children or custody, or (3) forcibly takes, or attempts to take him therefrom, such person, if the taking or escape is effected, shall, if the prisoner or child was detained on conviction, commitment or charge of felony, be confined in a state correctional facility not less than one year nor more than five years. If the same is not effected, or if the prisoner or child was not detained on such conviction, commitment or charge, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":308633,"text":"When a person is lawfully detained as a prisoner in any jail or prison or held in custody, or when a child is placed in a local juvenile detention home, or committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice in any juvenile correctional center, or Reception and Diagnostic Center for Children or held in custody, if any person: (1) conveys anything into the jail, prison, juvenile detention home, juvenile correctional center or Reception and Diagnostic Center for Children with intent to facilitate a person’s escape therefrom, (2) in any way aids such prisoner or child to escape, or in an attempt to escape, from such jail, prison, juvenile detention home, juvenile correctional center, Reception and Diagnostic Center for Children or custody, or (3) forcibly takes, or attempts to take him therefrom, such person, if the taking or escape is effected, shall, if the prisoner or child was detained on conviction, commitment or charge of felony, be confined in a state correctional facility not less than one year nor more than five years. If the same is not effected, or if the prisoner or child was not detained on such conviction, commitment or charge, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 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}],"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-473\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 5 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 1960, chapter 358; in 1975, chapters 14 and 15; in 1984, chapter 587; in 1989, chapter 733; in 1996, chapters 755<\/a> and 914<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":81881,"section_number":"18.2-474","catch_line":"Delivery of articles to prisoners or committed person","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-474\/"},{"id":78113,"section_number":"18.2-474.1","catch_line":"Delivery of drugs, firearms, explosives, etc., to prisoners or committed persons","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-474.1\/"},{"id":62627,"section_number":"19.2-81.2","catch_line":"Power of correctional officers and designated noncustodial employees to detain","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-81.2\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":164433,"object_type":"law","relational_id":86161,"identifier":"18.2-473","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-473","url":"\/18.2-473\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-473\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-473","dublin_core":{"Title":"Persons aiding escape of prisoner or child","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-473","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

When a person is lawfully detained as a prisoner in any jail or prison or held in custody<\/span>, or when a child is placed in a local juvenile detention home, or committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice in any juvenile correctional center, or Reception and Diagnostic Center for Children or held in custody<\/span>, if any person: (1) conveys anything into the jail, prison, juvenile detention home, juvenile correctional center or Reception and Diagnostic Center for Children with intent<\/span> to facilitate a person’s escape therefrom, (2) in any way aids such prisoner or child to escape, or in an attempt to escape, from such jail, prison, juvenile detention home, juvenile correctional center, Reception and Diagnostic Center for Children or custody<\/span>, or (3) forcibly takes, or attempts to take him therefrom, such person, if the taking or escape is effected, shall, if the prisoner or child was detained on conviction<\/span>, commitment or charge of felony<\/span>, be confined in a state correctional facility not less than one year nor more than five years. If the same is not effected, or if the prisoner or child was not detained on such conviction<\/span>, commitment or charge, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPERSONS AIDING ESCAPE OF PRISONER OR CHILD (\u00a7 18.2-473)\n\nWhen a person is lawfully detained as a prisoner in any jail or prison or held\nin custody, or when a child is placed in a local juvenile detention home, or\ncommitted to the Department of Juvenile Justice in any juvenile correctional\ncenter, or Reception and Diagnostic Center for Children or held in custody, if\nany person: (1) conveys anything into the jail, prison, juvenile detention home,\njuvenile correctional center or Reception and Diagnostic Center for Children\nwith intent to facilitate a person’s escape therefrom, (2) in any way aids\nsuch prisoner or child to escape, or in an attempt to escape, from such jail,\nprison, juvenile detention home, juvenile correctional center, Reception and\nDiagnostic Center for Children or custody, or (3) forcibly takes, or attempts to\ntake him therefrom, such person, if the taking or escape is effected, shall, if\nthe prisoner or child was detained on conviction, commitment or charge of\nfelony, be confined in a state correctional facility not less than one year nor\nmore than five years. If the same is not effected, or if the prisoner or child\nwas not detained on such conviction, commitment or charge, he shall be guilty of\na Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-284; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1984, c. 587;\n1989, c. 733; 1996, cc. 755, 914.","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}}