The Utah State Hospital was never intended to be a prison.
"We see ourselves as a hospital. We treat our people as patients, not as prisoners or inmates," said Janina Chilton, public relations director.Yet, the hospital continually acts as a prison. Some of the state's most infamous and dangerous peo-ple have been confined there at one time or another. The list reads like a who's who in Utah criminal history:
Gary Gilmore. Ted Bundy. Ronnie Lee Gardner. Ron Lafferty. Eugene "Captain Nemo" Wood-land.
"We really deal with high-profile people. People who at any given moment don't want to be here," Chilton said.
Recently, a death row inmate was sent to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. "What incentive does a person have for treatment when they're right off death row?" she said.
As of Tuesday, 14 men charged with homicide, 10 with rape/aggravated assault and 10 with child sexual abuse were patients at the hospital. The forensics unit where they reside has capacity for 60 people. On Tuesday, there were 78. Some are shuttled between the hospital and jails or prison - some for the duration of their sentences, others for life.
"That just presents a very dangerous situation," said Bob Ver-ville, associate director of the state Division of Mental Health.
Three state institutions - the state hospital, Utah State Developmental Center and Department of Corrections - want to diminish the danger by building a $28 million forensic mental health center on Utah State Prison grounds. The state Building Board, however, asked the three entities Monday to find ways to reduce costs for the proposed 200-bed facility.
Verville said it might be cheaper to build at the developmental center in American Fork or at the state hospital. Building near the prison would require the construction of a heating plant and medical facilities. Those things are already in place at the American Fork and Provo sites, he said. The number of beds might also have to be scaled back.
"It's a high priority item, and it's also a very expensive item," Ver-ville said.
Until such a center is built, the state hospital will continue in its role as an ill-equipped prison and hospital.
Although the hospital staff restricts the movement of criminally committed patients, security is lacking. Of the eight guards patrolling the grounds, none are specifically assigned to the forensics ward. They don't carry guns.
"We don't ever want guns here," she said.
The bars on the outside windows of the 71-year-old building appear ornamental. They were placed on the windows after rapist Jack Jessop slid to freedom down a vacuum cord from a third-floor window in 1989.
"The public is vulnerable. We are vulnerable," Chilton said.
Other than Jessop, none of the well-known criminals have escaped from the hospital in recent years.
Chilton said criminals live highly structured lives. They're allowed little free time. The floor on which they sleep is locked at night as are all the wards at the hospital. But the atmosphere isn't prisonlike.
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(Additional information)
Patients' charges
The number and type of charges of patients currently housed at Utah State Hospital:
Homicide 14
Rape/aggravated assault 10
Sexual assault - child 10
Burglary, theft, auto theft 10
Aggravated assault 8
Attempted homicide 6
Arson 5
Criminal mischief/mayhem 4
Armed robbery 3
Explosive device/firearm 3
Forgery 2
Kidnapping 1
Possession of drugs 1
Insufficient funds 1
Total 78