West Virginia Code § 61-5-12

Escapes from, and other offenses relating to, state benevolent and
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correctional institution, or private prison or mental health facilities; penalties.
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 attempets 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 arny 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. t
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 sperson, and may also be arrested and returned
by any officer or agent of such institution, private prison or facility.
Whoever trespasses, idles, lounges ogr 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 seignals, 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 betweenL 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 iWn 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.

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