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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>71093</law_id><section_number>18.2-477.1</section_number><catch_line>Escapes from juvenile facility; penalty</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>17.1-805</reference><reference>19.2-392.02</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="18.2">Crimes and Offenses Generally</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="10">Crimes Against the Administration of Justice</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="7">Escape of, Communications with and Deliveries to Prisoners</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> It shall be unlawful for any person to escape or remain away without proper authority from a group home or other residential care facility for children in need of services, delinquent or alleged delinquent youths in which he had been placed by the juvenile and domestic relations <span class="dictionary">court</span> or as a result of his commitment as a juvenile to the Department of Juvenile Justice. Any person violating this subsection shall be taken into <span class="dictionary">custody</span> and brought before the juvenile and domestic relations <span class="dictionary">court</span>. The <span class="dictionary">court</span> may find the person in violation of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Violation of court order by any person" href="/16.1-292/">16.1-292</a> or, if the <span class="dictionary">court</span> finds the person amenable to further treatment in a juvenile facility, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> may return him to the <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of the Department. <a id="paragraph-256339" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-477.1/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> It shall be unlawful for any person to escape or remain away without proper authority from a secure facility operated by or under <span class="dictionary">contract</span> with the Department of Juvenile Justice or from a secure juvenile detention facility in which he had been placed by the juvenile and domestic relations <span class="dictionary">court</span> or as a result of his commitment as a juvenile to the Department of Juvenile Justice. Any person who escapes from a facility specified in this subsection by force or by violence shall be guilty of a Class 6 <span class="dictionary">felony</span> or, if violation of this subsection occurs other than by force or violence, a Class 1 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>. <a id="paragraph-256340" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-477.1/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1985, c. 435; 1989, c. 733; 1993, c. 840; 1994, c. 490; 1997, c. 749.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
