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Arizona criminal charge

Promoting prison contraband in Arizona

Current through 2026 Arizona legislative session

Promoting prison contraband is a criminal offense under Arizona law, defined by A.R.S. § 13-2505. Its classification is not fixed: Arizona assigns a different penalty class depending on the circumstances of the offense. The class that applies — and the sentencing range that follows from it — depends on which statutory variant fits the facts.

Defined by A.R.S. § 13-2505.

What is the penalty for promoting prison contraband in Arizona?

Penalties for Promoting prison contraband
PenaltyRangeBasisAuthority
Jail / prison4 years to 10 years (Promoting prison contraband — deadly weapon, dangerous instrument or explosive — Applies when the contraband involved is a deadly weapon, dangerous instrument or explosive.; presumptive 5 years; mitigated 3 / aggravated 12.5 years available only on at least two mitigating/aggravating circumstances (13-701, 13-702(B)-(D)); repetitive (13-703) or dangerous (13-704) offenses use different ranges)presumptiveA.R.S. § 13-702
Fineup to $150,000 (Promoting prison contraband — deadly weapon, dangerous instrument or explosive — Applies when the contraband involved is a deadly weapon, dangerous instrument or explosive.; fine cap for an individual (13-801); drug and other offenses may set higher statute-specific amounts)discretionaryA.R.S. § 13-702
Jail / prison4 years to 10 years (Promoting prison contraband — dangerous drug, narcotic drug or marijuana — Applies when the contraband involved is a dangerous drug, narcotic drug or marijuana.; presumptive 5 years; mitigated 3 / aggravated 12.5 years available only on at least two mitigating/aggravating circumstances (13-701, 13-702(B)-(D)); repetitive (13-703) or dangerous (13-704) offenses use different ranges)presumptiveA.R.S. § 13-702
Fineup to $150,000 (Promoting prison contraband — dangerous drug, narcotic drug or marijuana — Applies when the contraband involved is a dangerous drug, narcotic drug or marijuana.; fine cap for an individual (13-801); drug and other offenses may set higher statute-specific amounts)discretionaryA.R.S. § 13-702
Jail / prison9 months to 24 months (Promoting prison contraband — other contraband — Applies in all other cases of promoting prison contraband not involving a weapon, explosive, or drug/marijuana.; presumptive 1.5 years; mitigated 6 months / aggravated 2.5 years on required findings (13-701, 13-702(B)-(D)); repetitive (13-703) or dangerous (13-704) offenses use different ranges)presumptiveA.R.S. § 13-702
Fineup to $150,000 (Promoting prison contraband — other contraband — Applies in all other cases of promoting prison contraband not involving a weapon, explosive, or drug/marijuana.; fine cap for an individual (13-801); statute-specific amounts may exceed)discretionaryA.R.S. § 13-702
Jail / prison9 months to 24 months (Failure to report violation or attempted violation — Applies when a person fails to report a known violation or attempted violation of this section as required by subsection B.; presumptive 1.5 years; mitigated 6 months / aggravated 2.5 years on required findings (13-701, 13-702(B)-(D)); repetitive (13-703) or dangerous (13-704) offenses use different ranges)presumptiveA.R.S. § 13-702
Fineup to $150,000 (Failure to report violation or attempted violation — Applies when a person fails to report a known violation or attempted violation of this section as required by subsection B.; fine cap for an individual (13-801); statute-specific amounts may exceed)discretionaryA.R.S. § 13-702

Applies to first felony offense, non-dangerous; presumptive term 5 years.

How is promoting prison contraband classified in Arizona?

The classification depends on the circumstances:

Classification variants for Promoting prison contraband
VariantClassificationWhen it appliesStatute
Promoting prison contraband — deadly weapon, dangerous instrument or explosiveClass 2 FelonyApplies when the contraband involved is a deadly weapon, dangerous instrument or explosive.A.R.S. § 13-2505G
Promoting prison contraband — dangerous drug, narcotic drug or marijuanaClass 2 FelonyApplies when the contraband involved is a dangerous drug, narcotic drug or marijuana.A.R.S. § 13-2505G
Promoting prison contraband — other contrabandClass 5 FelonyApplies in all other cases of promoting prison contraband not involving a weapon, explosive, or drug/marijuana.A.R.S. § 13-2505G
Failure to report violation or attempted violationClass 5 FelonyApplies when a person fails to report a known violation or attempted violation of this section as required by subsection B.A.R.S. § 13-2505G

Common questions about promoting prison contraband in Arizona

Is promoting prison contraband a felony or a misdemeanor in Arizona?

It depends on the circumstances: promoting prison contraband ranges from a Class 5 Felony to a Class 2 Felony in Arizona under A.R.S. § 13-2505.

Promoting prison contraband — deadly weapon, dangerous instrument or explosive: Class 2 Felony (A.R.S. § 13-2505G) · Promoting prison contraband — dangerous drug, narcotic drug or marijuana: Class 2 Felony (A.R.S. § 13-2505G) · Promoting prison contraband — other contraband: Class 5 Felony (A.R.S. § 13-2505G) · Failure to report violation or attempted violation: Class 5 Felony (A.R.S. § 13-2505G)

What are the penalties for promoting prison contraband in Arizona?

Penalties for promoting prison contraband in Arizona depend on how it is classified — from a Class 5 Felony up to a Class 2 Felony — with the ranges set by A.R.S. § 13-702; the full table of ranges by variant is published on this page.

Which Arizona statute covers promoting prison contraband?

Promoting prison contraband is governed by A.R.S. § 13-2505 (Promoting prison contraband; exceptions; x-radiation; body scans; classification).

Legal terms used in this law

This reference is informational and is not legal advice. Penalty ranges are the statutory classification ranges; sentencing in a specific case depends on its facts and history.