Montana Code Annotated 1995

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     45-7-306. Escape. (1) "Official detention" means imprisonment which resulted from a conviction for an offense, confinement for an offense, confinement of a person charged with an offense, detention by a peace officer pursuant to arrest, detention for extradition or deportation, placement in a community corrections facility or program, supervision while under a supervised release program, participation in a county jail work program under 7-32-2225 through 7-32-2227, or any lawful detention for the purpose of the protection of the welfare of the person detained or for the protection of society. "Official detention" does not include supervision of probation or parole, constraint incidental to release on bail, or an unlawful arrest unless the person arrested employed physical force, a threat of physical force, or a weapon to escape.
     (2) A person subject to official detention commits the offense of escape if he knowingly or purposely removes himself from official detention or fails to return to official detention following temporary leave granted for a specific purpose or limited time. A person also commits the offense of escape if he is participating in a county jail work program under 7-32-2225 through 7-32-2227 and he knowingly or purposely fails to appear for work at a time and place scheduled for participation in the program.
     (3) A person convicted of the offense of escape shall be:
     (a) imprisoned in the state prison for a term not to exceed 20 years if he escapes from or while in transit to or from a state prison, county jail, city jail, community corrections facility or program, or supervised release program by the use or threat of force, physical violence, weapon, or simulated weapon;
     (b) imprisoned in the state prison for a term not to exceed 10 years if he:
     (i) has been charged with or convicted of a felony and escapes from or while in transit to or from a state prison, county jail, city jail, halfway house, life skills center, community corrections facility or program, or supervised release program; or
     (ii) escapes from or while in transit to or from another official detention by the use or threat of force, physical violence, weapon, or simulated weapon; or
     (c) fined not to exceed $500 or imprisoned in the county jail for a term not to exceed 6 months, or both, if he commits escape, including escape while in transit to or from official detention, under circumstances other than (a) and (b) of this subsection.

     History: En. 94-7-306 by Sec. 1, Ch. 513, L. 1973; R.C.M. 1947, 94-7-306; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 72, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 8, Ch. 583, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 361, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 114, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 16, Ch. 554, L. 1991.

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