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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>60787</law_id><section_number>53.1-203</section_number><catch_line>Felonies by prisoners; penalties</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>18.2-477.2</reference><reference>19.2-188.1</reference><reference>19.2-392.02</reference><reference>19.2-81.2</reference><reference>53.1-204</reference><reference>53.1-205</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="53.1">Prisons and Other Methods of Correction</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="7">Crimes and Criminal Proceedings Involving Prisoners</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">Crimes by Prisoners</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>It shall be unlawful for a prisoner in a state, local or <span class="dictionary">community correctional facility</span> or in the <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of an employee thereof to:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Escape from a correctional facility or from any person in charge of such prisoner; <a id="paragraph-222239" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/53.1-203/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Willfully break, cut or damage any building, furniture, fixture or fastening of such facility or any part thereof for the purpose of escaping, aiding any other prisoner to escape therefrom or rendering such facility less secure as a place of confinement; <a id="paragraph-222240" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/53.1-203/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="3"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> Make, procure, secrete or have in his <span class="dictionary">possession</span> any instrument, tool or other thing for the purpose of escaping from or aiding another to escape from a correctional facility or employee thereof; <a id="paragraph-222241" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/53.1-203/#3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="4"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> Make, procure, secrete or have in his <span class="dictionary">possession</span> a knife, instrument, tool or other thing not authorized by the superintendent or sheriff which is capable of causing death or bodily injury; <a id="paragraph-222242" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/53.1-203/#4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="5"><p><span class="prefix-number">5.</span> Procure, sell, secrete or have in his <span class="dictionary">possession</span> any chemical compound which he has not lawfully received; <a id="paragraph-222243" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/53.1-203/#5"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="6"><p><span class="prefix-number">6.</span> Procure, sell, secrete or have in his <span class="dictionary">possession</span> a controlled substance classified in Schedule III of the Drug Control Act (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Citation" href="/54.1-3400/">54.1-3400</a> et seq.) or marijuana; <a id="paragraph-222244" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/53.1-203/#6"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="7"><p><span class="prefix-number">7.</span> Introduce into a correctional facility or have in his <span class="dictionary">possession</span> firearms or ammunition for firearms; <a id="paragraph-222245" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/53.1-203/#7"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="8"><p><span class="prefix-number">8.</span> Willfully burn or destroy by use of any explosive device or substance, in whole or in part, or cause to be so burned or destroyed, any personal property, within any correctional facility; <a id="paragraph-222246" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/53.1-203/#8"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="9"><p><span class="prefix-number">9.</span> Willfully tamper with, damage, destroy, or disable any fire protection or fire suppression system, equipment, or sprinklers within any correctional facility; or <a id="paragraph-222247" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/53.1-203/#9"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="10"><p><span class="prefix-number">10.</span> Conspire with another prisoner or other prisoners to commit any of the foregoing acts.
			For violation of any of the provisions of this section, except subdivision 6, the prisoner shall be guilty of a Class 6 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. For a violation of subdivision 6, he shall be guilty of a Class 5 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. If the violation is of subdivision 1 of this section and the escapee is a felon, he shall be sentenced to a mandatory minimum term of confinement of one year, which shall be served consecutively with any other sentence. The prisoner shall, upon <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> of escape, immediately commence to serve such escape sentence, and he shall not be eligible for <span class="dictionary">parole</span> during such period. Any prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment who escapes shall not be eligible for <span class="dictionary">parole</span>. No part of the time served for escape shall be credited for the purpose of <span class="dictionary">parole</span> toward the sentence or sentences, the service of which is interrupted for service of the escape sentence, nor shall it be credited for such purpose toward any other sentence. <a id="paragraph-222248" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/53.1-203/#10"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 53-291; 1966, c. 300; 1970, c. 648; 1973, c. 403; 1975, c. 588; 1977, c. 497; 1978, cc. 177, 361; 1982, c. 636; 1985, c. 555; 1988, c. 371; 2004, c. 461; 2006, c. 104; 2011, cc. 384, 410; 2014, cc. 674, 719.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
