A spokeswoman for the Utah State Hospital in Provo believes installation of security screens on windows in older buildings at the hospital could help prevent escapes like the one that occurred Tuesday at the facility.
Police still have not located Jack Jessop, 45, a convicted rapist who escaped from the hospital after removing a window and a screen from a third-floor room on the sexual offenders ward and using a vacuum cord to lower himself to the ground. Police officials believe Jessop has left the area.Janina Chilton said the hospital has asked for funding to put security screens on windows on two hospital buildings, including the one housing the sexual offenders ward. The screens would cost $125,000 to $150,000, Chilton said.
"We are allowed to put bars on the windows, but it would make the hospital look like a prison," Chilton said. "Security is always a worry for us. We don't have enough staff on those units."