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Navigate this page by pressing the following links. - Introduction
In
the 38 states and federal government that currently have death penalty
statutes, five different methods of execution are prescribed: Lethal
Injection, Electrocution, Lethal Gas, Firing Squad, and Hanging. The
vast majority of jurisdictions provide for execution by lethal injection.
20 jurisdictions provide for alternative methods of execution,
contingent upon the choice of the inmate, the date of the execution or
sentence, or the possibility of the method being held unconstitutional.
Only one state does not have lethal injection as a primary or optional
method of execution.
State
Statutes / Method of Execution
Alabama
- If execution is
after 07-01-02, inmate may choose electrocution, otherwise lethal
injection.
Procedure:
State statutes typically provide: "The punishment of death must be
inflicted by continuous, intravenous administration of a lethal quantity
of an ultrashort-acting barbiturate in combination with a chemical
paralytic agent until death is pronounced by a licensed physician
according to accepted standards of medical practice." The
execution protocol for most jurisdictions authorizes the use of a
combination of three drugs. The first, sodium thiopental or sodium
pentothal, is a barbiturate that renders the prisoner unconscious. The
second, pancuronium bromide, is a muscle relaxant that paralyzes the
diaphragm and lungs. The third, potassium chloride, causes cardiac
arrest. Each chemical is lethal in the amounts administered. The
inmate is escorted into the execution chamber and is strapped onto a
gurney with ankle and wrist restraints. The inmate is connected to a
cardiac monitor which is connected to a printer outside the execution
chamber. An IV is started in two usable veins, one in each arm, and a
flow of normal saline solution is administered at a slow rate. One line
is held in reserve in case of a blockage or malfunction in the other. At
the warden’s signal, The
most common problem encountered is collapsing veins and the inability to
properly insert the IV. Some states allow for a Thorazine or sedative
injection to facilitate IV insertion. History:
Lethal injection had first been proposed as a means of execution in 1888
when Current Application: 17 states and the federal government authorize lethal injection as the sole method of execution. 20 other states provide for lethal injection as the primary method of execution, but provide alternative methods depending upon the choice of the inmate, the date of the execution or sentence, or the possibility of the method being held unconstitutional. As of June1 2004, 744 of 912 executions (82%) performed since 1976 have been by lethal injection, including 258 of the last 261 executions. Lethal injections is just by the following states.
Procedure:
State statutes typically provide: "The sentence shall be executed
by causing to pass through the body of the convict a current of
electricity of sufficient intensity to cause death, and the application
and continuance of such current through the body of such convict shall
continue until such convict is dead." The execution
protocol for most jurisdictions authorizes the use of a wooden chair
with restraints and connections to an electric current. The offender
enters the execution chamber and is placed in the electric chair. The
chair is constructed of oak and is set on a rubber matting and bolted to
a concrete floor. Lap, chest, arm, and forearm straps are secured. A leg
piece (anklet) is laced to the offender's right calf and a sponge and
electrode is attached. The headgear consists of a metal headpiece
covered with a leather hood which conceals the offender's face. The
metal part of the headpiece consists of a copper wire mesh screen to
which the electrode is brazened. A wet sponge is placed between the
electrode and the offender's scalp. The safety switch is closed. The
circuit breaker is engaged. The execution control panel is activated.
The automatic cycle begins with the programmed 2,300 volts (9.5 amps)
for eight seconds, followed by 1,000 volts (4 amps) for 22 seconds,
followed by 2,300 volts (9.5 amps) for eight seconds. When the cycle is
complete, the equipment is disconnected and the manual circuit behind
the chair is disengaged. If the offender is not pronounced dead, the
execution cycle is then repeated. (See The most common
problems encountered include burning of varying degrees to parts of the
body, and a failure of the procedures to cause death without repeated
shocks. Witness accounts of many botched executions over the years have
caused electrocution to be replaced with lethal injection as the most
common method of execution. History:
In 1888, Current
Application:
Only Electrocution is used by the following states.
Procedure:
State statutes typically and simply provide: "The punishment of
death must be inflicted by the administration of a lethal gas." The
execution protocol for most jurisdictions authorizes the use of a steel
airtight execution chamber, equipped with a chair and attached
restraints. The inmate is restrained at his chest, waist, arms, and
ankles, and wears a mask during the execution. The chair is equipped
with a metal container beneath the seat. Cyanide pellets are placed in
this container. A metal canister is on the floor under the container
filled with a sulfuric acid solution. There are three executioners, and
each executioner turns one key. When the three keys are turned, an
electric switch causes the bottom of the cyanide container to open
allowing the cyanide to fall into the sulfuric acid solution, producing
a lethal gas. Unconsciousness can occur within a few seconds if the
prisoner takes a deep breath. However, if he or she holds their breath
death can take much longer, and the prisoner usually goes into wild
convulsions. A heart monitor attached to the inmate is read in the
control room, and after the warden pronounces the inmate dead, ammonia
is pumped into the execution chamber to neutralize the gas. Exhaust fans
then remove the inert fumes from the chamber into two scrubbers that
contain water and serve as a neutralizing agent. The neutralizing
process takes approximately 30 minutes from the time the offender's
death is determined. Death is estimated to usually occur within 6 to 18
minutes of the lethal gas emissions. (See The
most common problems encountered are the obvious agony suffered by the
inmate and the length of time to cause death. History:
The use of a gas chamber for execution was inspired by the use of
poisonous gas in World War I, as well as the popularity of the gas oven
as a means of suicide. Current
Application: Only 4 states,
Procedure:
Prior to any execution, the gallows area trap door and release
mechanisms are inspected for proper operation. The rope, which is of
manila hemp of at least 3/4"and not more than 1 1/4"in
diameter and approximately Additionally,
prior to an execution, the condemned offender's file is reviewed to
determine if there are any unusual characteristics the offender
possesses that might warrant deviation from field instructions on
hanging. A physical examination and measuring process is conducted to
assure almost instant death and a minimum of bruising. If careful
measuring and planning is not done, strangulation, obstructed blood flow,
or beheading could result. At the appropriate time on execution day, the
inmate, in restraints, is escorted to the gallows area and is placed
standing over a hinged trap door from which the offender will be dropped.
Following the offender's last statement, a hood is placed over the
offender's head. Restraints are also applied. If the offender refuses to
stand or cannot stand, he is placed on a collapse board. A determination
of the proper amount of the drop of the condemned offender through the
trap door is calculated using a standard military execution chart for
hanging. The "drop" must be based on the prisoner's weight, to
deliver 1260 foot_pounds of force to the neck. The noose is then placed
snugly around the convict's neck, behind his or her left ear, which will
cause the neck to snap. The trap door then opens, and the convict drops.
If properly done, death is caused by dislocation of the third and fourth
cervical vertebrae, or by asphyxiation. A button mechanically releases
the trap door and escorts then move to the lower floor location to
assist in the removal of the offender's body. (See Washington
Execution Procedures). History:
Hanging is the oldest method of execution in the Current Application: Only 3 states, Delaware, New Hampshire, and Washington, currently authorize hanging as a method of execution, all as an alternative to lethal injection, depending upon the choice of the inmate, whether injection is “impractical, or the possibility of lethal injection being held unconstitutional. As of June 1, 2004, 3 of 912 executions (0.3%) performed since 1976 have been by hanging. Hanging is used by the following states.
Procedure:
Shooting can be carried out by a single executioner who fires from short
range at the back of the head or neck as in The
History:
In recent history only two inmates have been executed by firing squad,
both in Current
Application: Only 3
states, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Utah, currently authorize shooting as a
method of execution, all as an alternative to lethal injection,
depending upon the choice of the inmate, whether injection is
“impractical, or the possibility of lethal injection being held
unconstitutional. As of June 1, 2004, 2 of 912 executions (0.2%)
performed since 1976 have been by firing squad.
Source: http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/methods.htm
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