{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-479.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-479.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-479.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-479.html"}],"law_id":60333,"edition_id":1,"section_id":60333,"structure_id":13247,"section_number":"18.2-479","catch_line":"Escape without force or violence or setting fire to jail; penalties","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-290; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1985, c. 555; 2005, c. 573; 2025, cc. 38, 41.","full_text":"A\n\nExcept as provided in subsection B, any person lawfully confined in jail or lawfully in the custody of any court, officer of the court, or law-enforcement officer, as defined in § 18.2-57, for violation of his probation or parole or on a charge or conviction of a misdemeanor who escapes, other than by force or violence or by setting fire to the jail, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.B\n\nAny person lawfully confined in jail or lawfully in the custody of any court, officer of the court, or law-enforcement officer, as defined in § 18.2-57, on a charge or conviction of a felony who escapes, other than by force or violence or by setting fire to the jail, is guilty of a Class 6 felony.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":220665,"text":"Except as provided in subsection B, any person lawfully confined in jail or lawfully in the custody of any court, officer of the court, or law-enforcement officer, as defined in § 18.2-57, for violation of his probation or parole or on a charge or conviction of a misdemeanor who escapes, other than by force or violence or by setting fire to the jail, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":220666,"text":"Any person lawfully confined in jail or lawfully in the custody of any court, officer of the court, or law-enforcement officer, as defined in § 18.2-57, on a charge or conviction of a felony who escapes, other than by force or violence or by setting fire to the jail, is guilty of a Class 6 felony.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"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":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},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-479\/","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 1985, chapter 555; in 2005, chapter 573<\/a>; in 2025, chapters 38<\/a> and 41<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":61280,"section_number":"19.2-392.02","catch_line":"National criminal background checks by businesses and organizations regarding employees or volunteers providing care to children or the elderly or disabled","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-392.02\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":64628,"section_number":"18.2-57","catch_line":"Assault and battery; penalty","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-57\/"}],"permalink":{"id":164481,"object_type":"law","relational_id":60333,"identifier":"18.2-479","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-479","url":"\/18.2-479\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-479\/","token":"18.2\/10\/7\/18.2-479","dublin_core":{"Title":"Escape without force or violence or setting fire to jail; penalties","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-479","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Except as provided in subsection B, any person lawfully confined in jail or lawfully in the custody<\/span> of any court<\/span>, officer of the court<\/span>, or law<\/span>-enforcement officer, as defined in § 18.2-57<\/a>, for violation of his probation<\/span> or parole<\/span> or on a charge or conviction<\/span> of a misdemeanor<\/span> who escapes, other than by force or violence or by setting fire to the jail, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> Any person lawfully confined in jail or lawfully in the custody<\/span> of any court<\/span>, officer of the court<\/span>, or law<\/span>-enforcement officer, as defined in § 18.2-57<\/a>, on a charge or conviction<\/span> of a felony<\/span> who escapes, other than by force or violence or by setting fire to the jail, is guilty of a Class 6 felony<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nESCAPE WITHOUT FORCE OR VIOLENCE OR SETTING FIRE TO JAIL; PENALTIES (\u00a7\n18.2-479)\n\nA. Except as provided in subsection B, any person lawfully confined in jail or\nlawfully in the custody of any court, officer of the court, or law-enforcement\nofficer, as defined in § 18.2-57, for violation of his probation or parole\nor on a charge or conviction of a misdemeanor who escapes, other than by force\nor violence or by setting fire to the jail, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\nB. Any person lawfully confined in jail or lawfully in the custody of any court,\nofficer of the court, or law-enforcement officer, as defined in § 18.2-57,\non a charge or conviction of a felony who escapes, other than by force or\nviolence or by setting fire to the jail, is guilty of a Class 6 felony.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-290; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1985, c. 555;\n2005, c. 573; 2025, cc. 38, 41.","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}}