US · guidelines
U.S.S.G. §2P1.1
Escape, Instigating or Assisting Escape
(a) Base Offense Level:
(1) 13, if the custody or confinement is by virtue of an arrest on a charge
of felony, or conviction of any offense;
(2) 8, otherwise.
(b) Specific Offense Characteristics
(1) If the use or the threat of force against any person was involved, increase by 5 levels.
(2) If the defendant escaped from non-secure custody and returned voluntarily within ninety-six hours, decrease the offense level under
§2P1.1(a)(1) by 7 levels or the offense level under §2P1.1(a)(2) by
4 levels. Provided, however, that this reduction shall not apply if the
defendant, while away from the facility, committed any federal, state,
or local offense punishable by a term of imprisonment of one year or
more.
(3) If the defendant escaped from the non-secure custody of a community
corrections center, community treatment center, “halfway house,” or
similar facility, and subsection (b)(2) is not applicable, decrease the
offense level under subsection (a)(1) by 4 levels or the offense level
under subsection (a)(2) by 2 levels. Provided, however, that this reduction shall not apply if the defendant, while away from the facility,
committed any federal, state, or local offense punishable by a term of
imprisonment of one year or more.
(4) If the defendant was a law enforcement or correctional officer or employee, or an employee of the Department of Justice, at the time of the
offense, increase by 2 levels.
Commentary
Statutory Provisions: 18 U.S.C. §§ 751, 752, 755; 28 U.S.C. § 1826. For additional statutory provision(s), see Appendix A (Statutory Index).
Application Notes:
1. “Non-secure custody” means custody with no significant physical restraint (e.g., where a defendant walked away from a work detail outside the security perimeter of an institution; where
a defendant failed to return to any institution from a pass or unescorted furlough; or where a
defendant escaped from an institution with no physical perimeter barrier).
2. “Returned voluntarily” includes voluntarily returning to the institution or turning one’s self in
to a law enforcement authority as an escapee (not in connection with an arrest or other charges).
3. If the adjustment in subsection (b)(4) applies, no adjustment is to be made under §3B1.3 (Abuse
of Position of Trust or Use of Special Skill).
4. Criminal history points under Chapter Four, Part A (Criminal History) are to be determined
independently of the application of this guideline. For example, in the case of a defendant serving
a one-year sentence of imprisonment at the time of the escape, criminal history points from
§4A1.1(b) (for the sentence being served at the time of the escape) and §4A1.1(e) (custody status)
would be applicable.
5. If the adjustment in subsection (b)(1) applies as a result of conduct that involves an official victim,
do not apply §3A1.2 (Official Victim).
History
Effective November 1, 1987. Amended effective November 1, 1989 (amendments 200 and 201); November 1, 1990 (amendment 341); November 1, 1991 (amendment 406); November 1, 2010 (amendment 747); Novem- ber 1, 2023 (amendment 821); November 1, 2025 (amendment 836).
Provenance
- Source
- ussc.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-20
- Edition
- ussg-2025
- Content hash
3e96aa1cb2b45cc686ee12abb882161f6c85e9ea9b15ae732f283db06d9089ea
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