Attorney General News Release 2018-57 Attorney General and DOH announce conclusion of Administrative investigation into escape from Hawaii State Hospital
Posted on Dec 12, 2018 in Latest Department NewsHONOLULU – The Department of the Attorney General and Department of Health announce the conclusion of the administrative investigation of the Nov. 12, 2017 escape of Randall Saito from the Hawaii State Hospital.
“The investigation was complex and required many hundreds of hours of review, evaluation, analysis and documentation by a committed team of investigators,” said Attorney General Russell A. Suzuki. “In keeping with Gov. Ige’s commitment to honesty and transparency, the report is being released so there can be a clearer understanding of the challenges faced by the Hawaii State Hospital.”
The investigation is fundamentally a review of personnel actions and protected by law from disclosure. However, Attorney General Suzuki has decided that for purposes of transparency, a redacted version of the final report will be released.
The detailed investigative report determined that no single, individual hospital employee was directly responsible for the escape. However, the report noted Hawaii State Hospital’s inability to adjust to a predominantly forensic patient population contributed to Saito’s escape.
“We knew the AG’s detailed investigation would take time, and we did not wait to take immediate corrective actions and make improvements at the hospital to ensure safety,” said Health Director Dr. Bruce Anderson. “Increased security measures were immediately put in place by the hospital administration, and we continue to make improvements that increase patient monitoring to protect employees as well as the public.”
During the investigation, six Hawaii State Hospital employees were placed on off-duty status. Two of the employees have retired and four will be reinstated to their positions and will be retrained. Based on the report findings, no hospital employees will receive disciplinary action.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Special Assistant to the Attorney General
Department of the Attorney General
(808) 586-1284
Janice Okubo
Communication Director
Hawaii Department of Health
(808) 586-4445
Krishna F. Jayaram
Special Assistant to the Attorney General
Department of the Attorney General
425 Queen Street
Honolulu HI 96813
Ph. 808 586-1284
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