Colorado § 16-8-121 Escape - return to institution

Colorado Statutes

§ 16-8-121 — Escape - return to institution

Colorado § 16-8-121

Title 16Criminal

Art.Insanity - Release

This text of Colorado § 16-8-121 (Escape - return to institution) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 16-8-121 (2026).

Text

(1)If any defendant, confined in an institution for the care and treatment of persons with behavioral or mental health disorders or intellectual and developmental disabilities under the supervision of the executive director of the department of human services, escapes from the institution, it is the duty of the chief officer to apply forthwith to the district court for the county in which the institution is located for a warrant of arrest directed to the sheriff of the county, commanding the sheriff forthwith to take all necessary legal action to effect the arrest of the defendant and to return the defendant promptly to the institution. The fact of an escape becomes a part of the official record of a defendant and must be certified to the committing court as part of the record i

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(1) If any defendant, confined in an
institution for the care and treatment of persons with behavioral or mental health
disorders or intellectual and developmental disabilities under the supervision of the
executive director of the department of human services, escapes from the
institution, it is the duty of the chief officer to apply forthwith to the district court
for the county in which the institution is located for a warrant of arrest directed to
the sheriff of the county, commanding the sheriff forthwith to take all necessary
legal action to effect the arrest of the defendant and to return the defendant
promptly to the institution. The fact of an escape becomes a part of the official
record of a defendant and must be certified to the committing court as part of the
record in any proceeding to determine whether the defendant is eligible for release
from commitment or eligible for conditional release.

(2) If any defendant committed to the custody of the executive director of
the department of human services and placed in an institution under the executive
director's supervision has escaped from an institution for the care and treatment of
persons with behavioral, mental health, or substance use disorders in another state,
the chief officer is authorized to return the defendant to the institution from which
the defendant escaped. The chief officer is further authorized to effect the return
at the expense of the state of Colorado and under such terms and conditions as the
chief officer deems suitable.

Legislative History

Source: L. 72: R&RE, p. 232, � 1. C.R.S. 1963: � 39-8-121. L. 83: (1) amended, p. 676, � 10, effective July 1. L. 87: Entire section amended, p. 1170, � 8, effective April 22. L. 94: (1) and (2) amended, p. 2650, � 122, effective July 1. L. 2006: (1) amended, p. 1397, � 42, effective August 7. L. 2017: Entire section amended, (SB 17-242), ch. 263, p. 1297, � 119, effective May 25. L. 2025: Entire section amended, (HB 25-1058), ch. 15, p. 58, � 24, effective August 6.