Federal · Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

18 U.S.C. § 1791: Providing or possessing contraband in prison

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

This statute prohibits providing contraband to prison inmates or inmates possessing prohibited objects. Penalties range from 6 months to 20 years imprisonment depending on the object type, with firearm/controlled substance violations receiving the longest sentences.

Read the full statutory text
in violation of a statute or a rule or order issued under a statute, provides to an inmate of a prison a prohibited object, or attempts to do so; or being an inmate of a prison, makes, possesses, or obtains, or attempts to make or obtain, a prohibited object; imprisonment for not more than 20 years, or both, if the object is specified in subsection (d)(1)(C) of this section; imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both, if the object is specified in subsection (d)(1)(A) of this section; imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or both, if the object is specified in subsection (d)(1)(B) of this section; imprisonment for not more than one year, or both, if the object is specified in subsection (d)(1)(D), (d)(1)(E), or (d)(1)(F) of this section; and imprisonment for not more than 6 months, or both, if the object is specified in subsection (d)(1)(G) of this section. Any punishment imposed under subsection (b) for a violation of this section involving a controlled substance shall be consecutive to any other sentence imposed by any court for an offense involving such a controlled substance. Any punishment imposed under subsection (b) for a violation of this section by an inmate of a prison shall be consecutive to the sentence being served by such inmate at the time the inmate commits such violation. a firearm or destructive device or a controlled substance in schedule I or II, other than marijuana or a controlled substance referred to in subparagraph (C) of this subsection; marijuana or a controlled substance in schedule III, other than a controlled substance referred to in subparagraph (C) of this subsection, ammunition, a weapon (other than a firearm or destructive device), or an object that is designed or intended to be used as a weapon or to facilitate escape from a prison; a narcotic drug, methamphetamine, its salts, isomers, and salts of its isomers, lysergic acid diethylamide, or phencyclidine; a controlled substance (other than a controlled substance referred to in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of this subsection) or an alcoholic beverage; any United States or foreign currency; a phone or other device used by a user of commercial mobile service (as defined in section 332(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 332(d) )) in connection with such service; and any other object that threatens the order, discipline, or security of a prison, or the life, health, or safety of an individual; the terms “ammunition”, “firearm”, and “destructive device” have, respectively, the meanings given those terms in section 921 of this title ; the terms “controlled substance” and “narcotic drug” have, respectively, the meanings given those terms in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act ( 21 U.S.C. 802 ); and the term “prison” means a Federal correctional, detention, or penal facility or any prison, institution, or facility in which persons are held in custody by direction of or pursuant to a contract or agreement with the Attorney General.

Verify at the official source: Federal legislative text

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