A man in custody who escaped from the Canberra Hospital mental health unit by fashioning a ladder from chairs has been sent back to the hospital with bolstered security for further assessment.

On August 10, Aaron Edward Jones, 31, was brought before the court in custody accused of breaching a court order.

He was allegedly in a home he was barred from under the order.

Mr Jones was ordered to undergo a mental health assessment at the Canberra Hospital, and was taken there under guard.

But he escaped, and prompted a two-week man hunt until he was found and arrested at a home in Campbell on Tuesday.

He appeared before the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday, facing a fresh offence of escaping custody.

The court agreed he still needed assessment and treatment, but there was an argument about where that should take place.

The prosecutor said he should be taken to the Alexander Maconochie Centre, and the doctors could attend to him there.

She said Mr Jones had escaped twice from the mental health unit, and had a conviction for once escaping custody in NSW.

In the most recent escape, she said, Mr Jones had built himself a ladder from chairs.

She said there was little doubt Mr Jones needed assessment and treatment but "he cannot be contained if he is sent to hospital".

But a mental health staffer addressed the court at the request of Magistrate Beth Campbell, and said the doctor had asked Mr Jones be taken to the emergency department for assessment.

The mental health staffer said the hospital was ready and able to bring in extra security if Mr Jones was to be taken there.

With that information, Ms Campbell ordered Mr Jones be returned to the Canberra Hospital for mental health assessment.

He will return to court at a later date.