Security check at Larned hospital accelerated after escapes

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — State officials say they are working to find an independent firm to review procedures after two convicts escaped from Larned State Hospital since June. The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services said Tuesday it is working with the Correctional Leaders Association to find a firm to conduct a comprehensive security review at Larned. The effort began after John Colt escaped from the prison in June. He was not arrested until September in Utah. The governor’s office says the effort will accelerate after another inmate, Isaac Watts, escaped from Larned on Monday night. He was arrested Tuesday in Garden City.