OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A review of last weekend’s escape from a Washington state mental hospital has found four problems that need to be corrected.
The report from the Department of Social and Health Services says Jonathan Wilson was able to leave Western State Hospital in Lakewood on Friday because he was not sufficiently supervised and walked through an unlocked door. The door had an automatic lock that wasn’t working properly.
The other problems involve policies and procedures that DSHS wants to change.
The report says hospital and law enforcement officials need to collaborate on patient leave policies that are easier to understand. The report also says the Department of Corrections, DSHS and law enforcement need to create a new plan together for communicating with each other and the media about what danger an escapee might pose.
