Escape - return to institution

16-8-121. Escape - return to institution. (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. 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. Cross references: For the legislative declaration contained in the 1994 act amending subsections (1) and (2), see section 1 of chapter 345, Session Laws of Colorado 1994. For the legislative declaration in SB 17-242, see section 1 of chapter 263, Session Laws of Colorado 2017.