Except where otherwise provided, whoever abducts any person who is an inmate or patient of any state benevolent or correctional institution, private prison or mental health facility is guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary for not more than five years. Whoever persuades, induces or entices, or attempts to persuade, induce or entice, any person who is an inmate or patient of any such institution, private prison or facility to escape therefrom, or whoever conceals or harbors any such person, knowing him or her to have run away from any such institution, private prison or facility, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $1,000, and in addition thereto, in the discretion of the court, may be imprisoned in the county jail not more than six months.

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Terms Used In West Virginia Code 61-5-12

  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • 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.
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
  • whoever: includes corporations, societies, associations and partnerships, and other similar legal business organizations. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10

Any fugitive from any state benevolent or correctional institution, private prison or mental health facility, may, on the order of the superintendent or other officer of such institution or facility, be arrested and returned to such institution or facility, or to any officer or agent thereof, by any sheriff, police officer or other person, and may also be arrested and returned by any officer or agent of such institution, private prison or facility.

Whoever trespasses, idles, lounges or loiters upon the grounds of any other state benevolent or correctional institution, private prison or mental health facility or communicates, or attempts to communicate, by signals, signs, writings or otherwise with any inmate or patient of such institution, private prison or facility, or conveys or assists in any way in establishing communication between an inmate or patient of such institution, private prison or facility and any person or persons outside thereof, except as authorized by the rules or regulations in force by the authority governing the same, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $20 nor more than $500, or imprisoned not more than thirty days in the county jail, or both, in the discretion of the court or magistrate. Whoever, with intent to defraud, purchases, accepts as a gift, or secures by barter or trade, or in any other manner, any article of clothing from an inmate or patient of any state benevolent or correctional institution, private prison or mental health facility issued to him or her, by any officer of such institution or facility, or by any private correctional officer of such private prison for his or her use, or, with such intent, secures any other article or articles belonging to any inmate or patient of such institution, private prison or facility or to such institution, private prison or facility from an inmate or patient thereof, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined a sum not less than double the value of such articles, except that in no case shall the fine be less than $100. Magistrates shall have jurisdiction of all misdemeanors included in this paragraph, concurrently with the circuit court.