Convicts can spend nearly a decade in isolation before execution. They are accused of heinous crimes (murder, rape, robbery, etc.). In the world, 58 countries maintain the death penalty – by hanging, shooting or beheading. A injection lethal it is used in the US and in countries like China and Vietnam. (In Brazil, the last death penalty was applied in 1876, but execution is still permitted in cases of war crimes.)
In the last week, the prisoner undergoes a medical evaluation to check his health condition and whether something may interfere with the effects of the injection. One of the main problems is the difficulty in finding an appropriate vein, common in drug users or diabetics.
In some countries, like the USA, the prisoner has the right to choose his last meal. The menu is approved by the director of the institution and cannot exceed a predetermined value. In Florida, for example, it is US$ 40. The detainee can receive the last visit from family members, a priest or pastor, or opt for a phone call. He is also taken to the bath and given new clothes.
1) TEAM OF DEATH
A paramedic, a nurse and an orderly prepare the injections and connect the prisoner to the heart monitor and catheters. Two civil executors take care of the application and another team stays in the organization – closing curtains, accompanying the convict…
2) NEEDLE
Tubes with needles are connected to the convict’s arms, which can make one last speech. The doses and drugs he will receive may vary according to the laws of the country and even the states. Typically, there are three clear liquids (see below), which begin to be administered in large doses – from five to 15 times greater than the dosages accepted by medicine. Death occurs after about ten minutes.
Barbiturate: The anesthetic induces coma and renders the person unconscious
Pancuronium Bromide: Relaxant that paralyzes the lungs and diaphragm
Potassium chloride: Cause cardiac arrest
Some US states use the one-time protocol injection. In this case, the anesthetic dose is 50 times above normal and inhibits neurological activity, paralyzes muscles, lungs and heart. The system is similar to that used in the euthanasia of animals and can cause death in less than five seconds.
3) END OF THE LINE
When the monitor confirms cardiac arrest, a doctor measures the pulse and certifies the prisoner’s death. After the autopsy, the body is sent to a funeral home chosen by the family or the state. Before dying, the convict can also decide whether his body will be donated to an educational institution.
gruesome scenery
The identity of the executors is kept secret. They must be trained, be over 18 years old, have a clean record and have no relationship with the prisoner. The execution room is small and unadorned. In the center is a stretcher, where the prisoner is immobilized, and some devices: cardiac monitor, microphone and camera. It is common for the executioners to stay in a parallel room with slits and tubes (through which the injection is applied).
SOURCES site death penalty, Cornell Law SchoolUS Department of Justice and Amnesty International NGO annual report