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Virginia statute

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-473 — Persons aiding escape of prisoner or child

Current through 2026 Regular Session

Part of Article 7: Escape of, Communications with and Deliveries to Prisoners, Code of Virginia.

Criminal charges under this statute

Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-473

Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the text of the Code of Virginia from the official Virginia Law Portal API published by the Virginia General Assembly's Division of Legislative Automated Systems; it is not the official Code of Virginia.

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-473Primary source, current through the 2026 Regular Session
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.

Official sources

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is covering a security camera in a correctional facility a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?

It depends on the circumstances: covering a security camera in a correctional facility ranges from a class 1 misdemeanor to a class 6 felony in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-473.2.

Covering a security camera without permission: class 1 misdemeanor (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-473.2B) · Covering a security camera to inhibit recording of a felony: class 6 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-473.2C)

Is persons aiding escape of prisoner or child a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?

Persons aiding escape of prisoner or child is a class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-473.

Which Virginia statute covers persons aiding escape of prisoner or child?

Persons aiding escape of prisoner or child is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-473 (Persons aiding escape of prisoner or child).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.