(a)  Any person sixteen (16) years or older who shall escape from the Rhode Island training school for youth after having been placed in the institution by the order of a family court judge, or who shall escape from the adult correctional institutions after having been placed in the institution by an order of a family court judge, shall, upon conviction, be imprisoned for a term not exceeding two (2) years and/or a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000).

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 11-25-16

  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.

(b)  In any case provided by subsection (a) of this section, the family court shall hold a hearing to determine whether or not the family court’s jurisdiction over the child shall be waived and may, if it so finds, order the child held for trial under the regular procedure of the district and/or superior courts.

(c)  If the family court elects to keep jurisdiction over the child, the court shall follow its regular procedure.

(d)  In the adjudication of any case under this section, the fact that the person has been found delinquent for the offense of escaping from the Rhode Island training school for youth on one or more occasions shall be prima facie evidence that the person cannot be rehabilitated under chapter 10 of Title 8. The superintendent of the Rhode Island training school shall notify the department of attorney general, the Rhode Island state police, and the Cranston Police Department of any escape, or attempted escape from the Rhode Island training school.

History of Section.
P.L. 1976, ch. 290, § 9; P.L. 1994, ch. 107, § 1; P.L. 1994, ch. 183, § 1.