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New jersey criminal charge

Escape in New jersey

Current through 2026 New Jersey legislative session

Escape is a criminal offense under New jersey law, defined by N.J.S.A. 2C:29-5. Its classification is not fixed: New jersey assigns a different penalty class depending on the circumstances of the offense. The class that applies — and the sentencing range that follows from it — depends on which statutory variant fits the facts.

Defined by N.J.S.A. 2C:29-5.

What is the penalty for escape in New jersey?

Penalties for Escape
PenaltyRangeBasisAuthority
Jail / prison5 years to 10 years (Escape (or permitting/facilitating escape) with force, threat, deadly weapon or other dangerous instrumentality — Applies to offenses under subsection a. (escape) or c. (permitting/facilitating escape) when the actor uses force, threat, a deadly weapon, or other dangerous instrumentality to effect the escape.; presumption of imprisonment (2C:44-1(d)))presumptiveN.J.S.A. 2C:43-6
Fineup to 150000 usd (no statutory minimum) (Escape (or permitting/facilitating escape) with force, threat, deadly weapon or other dangerous instrumentality — Applies to offenses under subsection a. (escape) or c. (permitting/facilitating escape) when the actor uses force, threat, a deadly weapon, or other dangerous instrumentality to effect the escape.; or up to double gain/loss (2C:43-3); offense-specific ceilings may exceed)discretionaryN.J.S.A. 2C:43-6
Jail / prison3 years to 5 years (Escape (or permitting/facilitating escape) without force/weapon — Applies to offenses under subsection a. (escape) or c. (permitting/facilitating escape) when force, threat, deadly weapon, or other dangerous instrumentality is not employed to effect the escape.; first-offender presumption of non-incarceration may apply (2C:44-1(e), carve-outs))presumptiveN.J.S.A. 2C:43-6
Fineup to 15000 usd (no statutory minimum) (Escape (or permitting/facilitating escape) without force/weapon — Applies to offenses under subsection a. (escape) or c. (permitting/facilitating escape) when force, threat, deadly weapon, or other dangerous instrumentality is not employed to effect the escape.; or up to double gain/loss (2C:43-3); offense-specific ceilings may exceed)discretionaryN.J.S.A. 2C:43-6
Jail / prison3 years to 5 years (Absconding from parole — Applies when a person subject to parole (including ISP) goes into hiding or leaves the State to avoid supervision.; first-offender presumption of non-incarceration may apply (2C:44-1(e), carve-outs))presumptiveN.J.S.A. 2C:43-6
Fineup to 15000 usd (no statutory minimum) (Absconding from parole — Applies when a person subject to parole (including ISP) goes into hiding or leaves the State to avoid supervision.; or up to double gain/loss (2C:43-3); offense-specific ceilings may exceed)discretionaryN.J.S.A. 2C:43-6

Applies to current.

How is escape classified in New jersey?

The classification depends on the circumstances:

Classification variants for Escape
VariantClassificationWhen it appliesStatute
Escape (or permitting/facilitating escape) with force, threat, deadly weapon or other dangerous instrumentalitycrime of the second degreeApplies to offenses under subsection a. (escape) or c. (permitting/facilitating escape) when the actor uses force, threat, a deadly weapon, or other dangerous instrumentality to effect the escape.N.J.S.A. 2C:29-5undefined
Escape (or permitting/facilitating escape) without force/weaponcrime of the third degreeApplies to offenses under subsection a. (escape) or c. (permitting/facilitating escape) when force, threat, deadly weapon, or other dangerous instrumentality is not employed to effect the escape.N.J.S.A. 2C:29-5undefined
Absconding from parolecrime of the third degreeApplies when a person subject to parole (including ISP) goes into hiding or leaves the State to avoid supervision.N.J.S.A. 2C:29-5undefined

Common questions about escape in New jersey

What degree of offense is escape in New Jersey?

It depends on the circumstances: escape ranges from a crime of the third degree to a crime of the second degree in New Jersey under N.J.S.A. 2C:29-5.

Escape (or permitting/facilitating escape) with force, threat, deadly weapon or other dangerous instrumentality: crime of the second degree (N.J.S.A. 2C:29-5) · Escape (or permitting/facilitating escape) without force/weapon: crime of the third degree (N.J.S.A. 2C:29-5) · Absconding from parole: crime of the third degree (N.J.S.A. 2C:29-5)

What are the penalties for escape in New Jersey?

Penalties for escape in New Jersey depend on how it is classified — from a crime of the third degree up to a crime of the second degree — with the ranges set by N.J.S.A. 2C:43-6; the full table of ranges by variant is published on this page.

Which New Jersey statute covers escape?

Escape is governed by N.J.S.A. 2C:29-5 (Escape).

Legal terms used in this law

This reference is informational and is not legal advice. Penalty ranges are the statutory classification ranges; sentencing in a specific case depends on its facts and history.