---
title: O.C.G.A. § 49-5-21. Penalties for aiding, harboring, or encouraging escapees or hindering their apprehension.
collection: code
id: 49-5-21
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 49-5-21 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/49-5-21
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/49-5-21.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/49-5-21/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t49-t50-ch1-12-(v38)-2023-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=60c992b5_0#page=288
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/49-5.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/49-5-20.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/49-5-22.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: SOCIAL SERVICES / PROGRAMS AND PROTECTION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH / CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES
---

# O.C.G.A. § 49-5-21. Penalties for aiding, harboring, or encouraging escapees or hindering their apprehension.

(a) Any person who shall knowingly aid, assist, or encourage any child or youth under the lawful control or custody of the department or of any licensed child welfare agency or home or facility used by such agency, public or private, to escape or to attempt to escape its control or custody shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(b) Any person who shall knowingly harbor, shelter, entertain, or encourage any child or youth who has escaped the lawful custody or control of the department or of any licensed child welfare agency or home or facility used by such agency, public or private, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(c) Any person who shall knowingly hinder the apprehension of any child under the lawful control or custody of the department who has been placed by the department in one of its institutions or facilities and who has escaped therefrom or who has been placed under supervision and is alleged to have broken the conditions thereof shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

## History

Ga. L. 1963, p. 81, § 16; Ga. L. 1976, p. 1066, § 2.