What does Escape mean?

• Escape is when a person knowingly escapes from custody and confinement in jail, prison, or even community corrections or juvenile detention facilities.

• Escape can be as high as a Class 2 Felony or as low as a Class 2 Misdemeanor. The level of the charge is determined by the type and level of charge the person is in jail/prison/detention for.

C.R.S. 18-3-206 - Escape

(1) A person commits a class 2 felony if, while being in custody or confinement following conviction of a class 1 or class 2 felony, he knowingly escapes from said custody or confinement.

(2) A person commits a class 3 felony if, while being in custody or confinement following conviction of a felony other than a class 1 or class 2 felony, he knowingly escapes from said custody or confinement.

(3) A person commits a class 4 felony if, while being in custody or confinement and held for or charged with but not convicted of a felony, he knowingly escapes from said custody or confinement.

(4) A person commits a class 2 misdemeanor if, while being in custody or confinement following conviction of a misdemeanor or petty offense or a violation of a municipal ordinance, he or she knowingly escapes from said place of custody or confinement.

(4.5) A person commits a class 2 misdemeanor if the person has been committed to the division of youth services in the department of human services for a delinquent act, is more than eighteen years of age, and escapes from a staff secure facility as defined in section 19-2.5-102, other than a state-operated locked facility.

(5) A person commits a petty offense if, while being in custody or confinement and held for or charged with but not convicted of a misdemeanor or petty offense or violation of a municipal ordinance, he or she knowingly escapes from said custody or confinement.

(6) A person who knowingly escapes confinement while being confined pursuant to a commitment under article 8 of title 16:

(a) Commits a class 2 misdemeanor if the person had been charged with a misdemeanor at the proceeding in which the person was committed;

(b) Commits a class 2 misdemeanor if the person had been charged with a felony at the proceeding in which the person was committed, if in the escape the person does not travel from the state of Colorado;

(c) Commits a class 5 felony if the person had been charged with a felony at the proceeding in which the person was committed, if in the escape the person travels outside of the state of Colorado.

(7) In a prosecution for an offense under subsection (6) of this section, it shall be a defense for any person who, while being confined pursuant to a commitment under article 8 of title 16, C.R.S., escapes and who voluntarily returns to the place of confinement.

(8) A person commits a class 5 felony if he knowingly escapes while in custody or confinement pursuant to the provisions of article 19 of title 16, C.R.S.

(9) The minimum sentences provided by sections 18-1.3-401, 18-1.3-501, and 18-1.3-503, respectively, for violation of the provisions of this section shall be mandatory, and the court shall not grant probation or a suspended sentence, in whole or in part; except that the court may grant a suspended sentence if the court is sentencing a person to the youthful offender system pursuant to section 18-1.3-407. The provisions of this subsection (9) do not apply to subsection (4.5) of this section.

(11) If a person is serving a direct sentence to a community corrections program pursuant to section 18-1.3-301, or is transitioning from the department of corrections to a community corrections program, or is placed in an intensive supervision program pursuant to section 17-27.5-101, or is participating in a work release or home detention program pursuant to section 18-1.3-106 (1.1), intensive supervision program or any other similar authorized supervised or unsupervised absence from a detention facility as defined in section 18-8-203 (3), is housed in a staff secure facility as defined in section 19-2.5-102, or is placed in a community corrections program for purposes of obtaining residential treatment as a condition of probation pursuant to section 18-1.3-204 (2.2) or 18-1.3-301 (4)(b), then the person is not in custody or confinement for purposes of this section.