Moral Injustices of the Death Penalty




I.  Overview

        a. Prisoners are execution in a room containing almost all walls of glass.  They are publicly displayed to the media and any witnesses.
            Curtains are only drawn to block the witnesses from the execution in the event that a reaction from the condemned proves to severely
            disturb the onlookers (individuals fainting, etc)

        b. Side effects of the execution range from mild to severe; in many cases, prisoners suffer a painful death.

                 - Examples of Severe Reactions: Gagging/choking on saliva, expulsion of blood via the head and nose, extreme convulsions
 

II. Forms of the Death Penalty and the Reactions They've Caused

A. Electrocution

                   Upon the commencement of “lapse time” (the ten minute interval between last cycle of electricity and the time when the physician
                   can pronounce the condemned’s death), the body is cooked to 138 degrees.  At this temperature, any contact with the skin would
                   cause it to blister; the inside layers of tissue are cooked like well-done beef.

                Source:  Biology of An Electrocution
 

                   1. Failure to Produce Enough Force To Kill
                       * William E. Vandiver was still breathing after the administration of 2,300 volts.  Finally, after 5 applications of electricity and an elapsed
                        time of 17 minutes, Vandiver was pronounced dead. Vandiver's attorney, Herbert Shaps, called the execution "outrageous", and the
                        Indiana Department of Corrections admitted that the execution "did not go according to plan."
                   2. Failure to Follow Execution Protocols
                   3. Extreme Reaction to Electricity

B.  Lethal Injection

                    A suggested medicinal administration ten minutes prior to the execution is 5 cc of Versed (a tranquilizer) and 200 mg of Benadryl
                    (an antihistamine to prevent spasms and choking) through the condemned's saline IV.  This process supposedly will ensure a smooth
                    execution free of any unwanted side effects and put the condemned in a calm, relaxed state of mind.  At five minutes prior to the
                    administration of Pentathol (the anesthetic) and the start of the execution, another 5 cc of Versed is also reccommended.

                   - Disclaimer: This suggestion apppears in the execution protocol for the state of Missouri.  It is not a necessary requirement for a
                    successful execution and is used only to ensure the condemned's comfort before the execution begins.  Because of this, states do
                    not list this step as part of the normal procedure for lethal injections.

                    IN OTHER WORDS... States don't care about comfort, they care about cost.

 Missouri Execution Protocol: Lethal Injection
 

                       by Michael L. Radelet, University of Florida

                    1. Rapid Dosage
                        *  Stephen McCoy had a violent reaction (heaving chest, choking, gasping and arching his back) to the
                                injections; the Texas attorney general admitted that the drugs may have “been administered in a heavier
                                dose or more rapidly”.

                    2. Equipment Failure
                       * Charles Walker suffered a painful death due to equipment and human error.  A kink in the IV stopped the
                                flow of the chemicals from reaching Walker’s body.  The execution team has also inserted the IV pointing
                                toward his fingers, instead of his heart, prolonging the execution even further.

                    3. Chemical Reactions
                         *  John Wayne Gacy took 18 minutes to die due to the unexpected solidification of chemicals within an IV tube.
                               Anesthesiologists blamed the problem on human error, stating that prison officials who were conducting the execution
                                were not taught proper procedures in “IV 101”.
 

Source of Information:  Post- Furman Botched Executions
 
 

 Home