Mental hospital escape investigation finds 25,000 keys missing

Report on Seattle hospital includes a list of mistakes, blunders and deceptions at what should be a secure facility


An investigation of the escape of two violent patients at a Seattle mental hospital found a list of "mistakes, blunders and deceptions" at what should be a secure facility, according to an article on the CBS website.

Seattle Corrections officials who investigated the April escape at Western State Hospital determined there were no routine inspections; 25,000 master keys were missing; thousands of tools used to open patient windows had been misplaced; and management was unwilling to recognize that failing to focus on security puts patients and the public at risk.

Hospital CEO Cheryl Strange said the hospital had made significant safety improvements since the escapes.

She said hospital officials would replace locks and issue new keys on all exterior doors.

Read the article.

 

 



September 29, 2016


Topic Area: Security


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