SPOKANE -- It has been four months since insane killer Phillip Paul escaped from an Eastern State Hospital field trip to the Spokane County Fair. Even after a long investigation into Eastern State Hospital's methods, you might be surprised to learn just how much has not changed.
Nobody has been fired. The panel in charge of making changes did not recommend any disciplinary actions either. Only the hospital's C.E.O. resigned before the investigation. At the time, the Department of Social and Health Services also suspended all field trips for patients. But they are still allowed, this time in four person groups. They have to be approved for conditional release.
Some state lawmakers say those changes to the field trip policy are not enough. Representative Matt Shea introduced a bill to ban all field trips. But that is unless there is a death in the family, legal or medical appointment, or a court order.
"Policies can be easily changed. We need to have these specific boundaries put into law so that it reassures people in our communities that this will never happen again," said Shea.
Phillip Paul will be in court on Friday so a judge can rule on his conditional release. It was not legally revoked when he was committed to Eastern State Hospital last January, just suspended. If he has shown improvement, the judge can allow him to live outside Eastern in a place like the Carlysle.
