Who wants to know way more than they really should about execution, how it's carried out, who gets to do the deed??? What follows (down the road on the page in deference to other people's sensibilities) has to officially qualify as some of the most chilling material I've ever read, and I'm in the medical field and a big fan of horror. Fair warning, if you think you might get the heebie jeebies, just leave. You're not missing anything. What kind of weirds me out is that people think about this, the process, the protocol ... right up there with the guy who invented the guillotine ...
Long story short, executioners are chosen for any job just like anybody else, you get interviewed or selected. You don't need special qualifications, just a willingness to perform the service. It's sort of expected in some states, if you work for the department of corrections you could get selected to participate in an execution team. Though they do not press the issue if you find the task unbearable. Many executioners are job above and beyond their regular job description and will receive no compensation or counseling.
*
*
*
*
*
*
IV. METHODS OF EXECUTION
A. Florida's Protocol on Execution by Electrocution
Florida adopted electrocution as its sole method of execution in 1923, replacing the previous method of hanging.18 The first execution by electrocution performed in Florida occurred in 1924; the last in 1997.19 Executions are performed at Florida State Prison in Starke, Florida. The following is a partial description of Florida's protocol on execution by electrocution.20
Prior to each execution, the execution equipment is tested. Additionally, testing of the execution equipment is performed a minimum of eight times each year. A "mock" execution is performed prior to each actual execution.
Florida employs a single executioner. The executioner must exhibit a willingness to participate and must uphold the confidentiality of the execution proceedings. To select an executioner, the position is originally advertised in newspapers. Applications are taken and evaluated. Applicants are interviewed (but are not given a psychological evaluation). The Florida Department of Corrections does not report who conducts these interviews or evaluations or who selects the executioner, nor does the department report whether the executioner serves only for a single execution or serves until he resigns or is replaced. The executioner is compensated.
The execution team consists of administrative, maintenance, security, and medical staff who are selected by the superintendent of Florida State Prison. The superintendent is in charge of the team. The execution team members are not compensated for their services. Service on the team is voluntary for all members except for the superintendent and the medical executive director.
Criminal Justice Committee staff has reviewed numerous documents provided by the department to try to ascertain what the procedures are on the day of execution. To the best of staff's knowledge, the following presents a partial description of Florida's current procedures for executing a condemned offender by electrocution.21
Staff at Florida State Prison supervises the shaving of the crown of the condemned offender's head and the offender's right leg from the knee to the ankle.
Official witnesses, who have reported to Florida State Prison's Administration Building, are greeted by two designated Department of Corrections' staff and, as a group, are escorted by the designated staff to the main entrance of Florida State Prison, cleared by security, and escorted to the staff dining room where they remain until escorted to the witness room of the execution chamber by the designated escort staff.
Authorized media witnesses are picked up at a designated media area at New River Correctional Institution by two designated Department of Corrections' escort staff, transported to the main entrance of Florida State Prison as a group, cleared by security, and escorted to the population visiting park where they remain until escorted to the witness room of the execution chamber by the designated escort staff.
The offender is escorted to the shower area. Following the shower, the offender is returned to his assigned cell and issued underwear, a pair of trousers, a dress shirt or blouse (as appropriate) and socks. The offender wears no shoes. A suit coat is not worn by the offender during the execution but is placed on the offender's body after the execution proceedings.
At the direction of the superintendent, all calls are forwarded to the execution chamber from the Governor's office through a switchboard extension. Should institutional telephone lines fail at any time during the process, the switchboard operator immediately advises the Command Center, which is located within hearing range of the switchboard operator. Telephones in the execution chamber are checked. Staff also ensures that a fully-charged cellular telephone is in the execution chamber. Sample telephone calls are placed to each telephone to ensure proper operation. The public address system is also checked to ensure its proper operation.
A saturated saline solution is mixed and two natural sea sponges are placed in the solution.
Staff establishes telephone communication with the Governor's office on behalf of the superintendent. This phone line remains open during the entire execution proceeding.
Staff verifies that water on X-wing is turned off.
The executioner is present in the execution chamber.
Staff ensures that a salt-free, hypoallergenic, electrically-conducive gel is applied to the crown of the offender's shaven head and the calf of the offender's right leg in a total application of approximately 4 ounces.
Just prior to the execution, the superintendent reads the death warrant to the offender and the offender is allowed to make a last statement.
Official witnesses are secured in the witness room of the execution chamber by two designated Department of Corrections' escort staff. The same procedure is followed with the media witnesses. The witness room of the execution chamber is secured. The execution chamber is secured.
Staff applies restraints to the offender for escort into the execution chamber. Prior to the offender being escorted, security arrangements have been made for his movement from his Q-wing cell to the execution chamber in compliance with a schedule set by the superintendent. At the offender's request and subject to the approval of the superintendent or assistant superintendent, the chaplain may accompany the offender to the execution chamber. The time is recorded when the offender enters the chamber.
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. When the straps are secured, the restraints are removed and ankle straps are secured. A leg piece (anklet) is laced to the offender's right calf and a sponge and electrode is attached. Staff ensures that the sponge covers all areas of the electrode to prevent any contact of the electrode with the offender's skin, and also ensures that the sponge is sufficiently wet (slightly dripping). The headpiece is secured. 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. Excess saline solution from the sponge is dried with a clean towel. During the execution, two Department of Corrections' staff members are posted in the execution chamber to ensure that the offender is seated and that the electrocution equipment is properly connected.
A staff member then proceeds to the outside open telephone line to inquire of any possible stays of execution. If there are no stays, the execution proceeds.
The safety switch is closed. The circuit breaker is engaged. The execution control panel is activated. The executioner is signaled either verbally or by gesture to engage the execution switch and the automatic cycle begins. While the automatic cycle has five cycles only three cycles are used. 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 electrician indicates that the current is off. Equipment is disconnected. The manual circuit behind the chair is disengaged. The safety switch is opened. The time in which the execution switch is disengaged is recorded.
Two minutes after the electrical current ceases, the physician examines the offender's body for vital signs. The physician pronounces the offender's death and the time of death. The estimated average length of time that elapses from the time the offender is restrained to the time that death is determined is 10 minutes. The physician signs the death certificate, and the physician and physician's assistant ensure that the proper documents are recorded. If the offender is not pronounced dead, the execution cycle is then ordered to be repeated.
The Governor is notified via the open phone line that the sentence has been carried out and that the offender has been pronounced dead. There is another announcement to the official witnesses and the media that the sentence has been carried out. Then, the witnesses and media are directed to exit the witness room. The official witnesses, except for the designated Inspector General (IG) witness, and the media pool is escorted from the witness room by designated Department of Corrections' escort staff. The designated IG witness remains in the witness room. After all other witnesses have exited the building, the IG designee is allowed entry into the execution chamber for evidence collection. The IG designee is authorized to collect both the head and leg sponges (which are placed in a plastic bag and securely sealed), inspect the execution equipment, make notes, and depart with these materials. If an unusual incident or problem should occur during an execution, the IG designee is also authorized to photograph the narrow and specific electrode contact points.
Staff coordinates the entry of hearse attendants for recovery of the offender's body. The offender is removed from the chair by the hearse attendants who are under supervision. The body is placed on a stretcher and then moved to a hallway outside the execution chamber. The executioner is compensated. A certification of death is obtained from the physician and is delivered to the hearse attendants prior to their departure.
As soon as possible after the execution proceeding, the superintendent forwards the death warrant to the Governor, indicating that the execution has been carried out and files a copy of the death warrant with the circuit court in which the condemned offender was convicted and sentenced to death. The correctional senior sentence specialist advises Central Records by teletype of the condemned offender's name and the date and time of death by execution.
The following individuals are authorized to attend an execution: 12 official witnesses; four alternate witnesses; 12 media witnesses; one departmental staff escort; one member of the medical staff; one member of the department's information services; one security officer.
The execution team is debriefed following an execution and counseling is available to the team members.
Florida has a written protocol on executions which is not required by law. No portion of the protocol is public information.
B. Texas' Protocol on Execution by Lethal Injection
Texas adopted lethal injection as its sole method of execution in 1977.22 Texas performed its first execution by lethal injection in 1982 and its latest executions in 1997. Texas leads the nation in the number of executions it has performed in recent history, and has been on a record-setting pace this year (25 executions to date).23 The following is a partial description of Texas' protocol on execution by lethal injection.24
Texas does not conduct a "mock" execution prior to each actual execution but execution security personnel conduct regular drills to ensure their ability to function as a team.
Texas does not employ a single executioner to perform an execution by lethal injection; it uses an injection team consisting of Texas Department of Criminal Justice employees who perform the execution without additional compensation and on a voluntary basis. These individuals are required to have sufficient medical knowledge to perform their required duties. There is no psychological evaluation to determine an employee's fitness for the team. Employees serve on the injection team until they resign or are replaced.
The execution facility consists of a separate building within the secure perimeter of the Huntsville Unit. It contains a four-room suite (consisting of a room where the injection team is located), the execution chamber, and two sight and sound-separated witness rooms. Immediately adjacent to these rooms and within the same building is a secure housing area with 10 holding cells where the prisoner is received from the Ellis Unit prior to the execution.
After clearances have been received from the governor and the attorney general, the condemned offender is escorted by five correctional officers from a holding cell to the execution chamber next door, where he is placed on a gurney and secured by leather straps located at the wrists, biceps, chest, stomach, and legs. The offender is not masked or hooded during the execution. The offender is permitted head movement so that he may turn his head to face witnesses (the media, his family, and the victim's family) when making a final statement.
Before any witnesses are brought into the execution facility, the microphone and speakers in each witness room are tested and the intravenous (IV) tubes are set up. Two administration sets are used, one for each arm. The line for the right arm is held in reserve as a contingency line in case of a malfunction or blockage in the first line. A flow of normal saline is begun. IV preparation is done by the injection team.
Witnesses are escorted into the witness room. The warden asks the offender if he has any last statement. Then, the procedure is initiated. The prisoner is given a sequence of three drugs using a manual process (instead of an injection machine). First, a lethal dose of sodium thiopental is administered which is supposed to initially render the offender unconscious. This takes approximately 30 seconds. After a saline flush, pancuronium bromide, a muscle relaxant, is administered to collapse the offender's diaphragm and lungs. This takes approximately 45 seconds. After a second saline flush, potassium chloride is administered to stop the offender's heart. This takes approximately 30 seconds. The administration of drugs takes less than two minutes.
Several minutes after the last signs of life are evident, the warden asks the physician to be brought in to pronounce death. The estimated average length of time that elapses from the time that the offender is restrained until the time that death is determined is 17 minutes.
Texas authorizes the following individuals to attend an execution: departmental staff deemed necessary by the executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; members of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice; departmental chaplains and, if requested by the offender, a personal minister with appropriate credentials; the Walker County (Texas) judge and sheriff; a media pool consisting of one reporter from the Huntsville Item, a United Press International reporter, an Associated Press reporter, and one additional print media representative (typically from the offender's county of residence), and broadcast representative selected from rotating lists of applicants maintained by the department's public information office; not more than five (non-inmate) relatives or friends of the offender; not more than five close relatives of the deceased victim (if there are fewer than five close relatives, witnesses may include close relatives of a victim for whose death the offender has been convicted but not sentenced to death).
Staff members newly assigned to the execution function are required to attend a debriefing (facilitated by the department's Post-Trauma Staff Support Program) within 72 hours of their participation in their first execution. No formal debriefing is held for experienced execution staff members, though referrals to counselors are available.
Texas does not report if it has a written protocol on executions.
C. North Carolina's Protocol on Execution by Lethal Gas
While the electric chair was still in use as late as 1938, North Carolina began to use the gas chamber several years earlier.25 North Carolina's first execution by lethal gas occurred in 1936. From 1936 to 1961, the state used the gas chamber to execute 190 offenders. In 1983, the state gave condemned offenders the choice of lethal injection or lethal gas, but lethal gas remains the primary method of execution. From 1984 until 1994, no inmate chose the gas chamber. In 1994, David Lawson did not request lethal injection and was executed by lethal gas. Philip Wilkinson was slated to be executed by lethal gas in April of 1997, but he won a stay 19 hours before his execution was to take place.26 The following is a partial description of North Carolina's protocol on execution by lethal gas.
Prior to any execution, at least three live tests of the execution chamber are conducted using the chemicals that are used in an actual execution. "Mock" rehearsals are also performed.
The three executioners are staff members selected by the warden of the Central Prison. They are not given a psychological evaluation unless an evaluation is requested. They remain a part of the execution team until replaced. The execution team consists of the warden, deputy warden, the three executioners, the trained medical team (three individuals), the chaplain, the escort team (four individuals), and the security coordinator. The team members, including the executioners, are not compensated beyond their regular salary. Service on the execution team is voluntary, except for the warden and deputy warden. The warden selects the execution team and is in charge of the team.
The execution chamber is an airtight compartment. A wooden chair with a high back, arm rests, and foot rests is mounted against the chamber's back wall. A steel door is to the left of the chair (as viewed from the witness chamber), and the control room is to the right. After entering the gas chamber, the condemned offender is placed in the chair, and then restraints are applied to his chest, waist, arms, and ankles. The offender 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 keys in the control room. There are also 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. Inhalation of this gas is supposed to initially render the offender unconscious.
A heart monitor attached to the offender can be read in the control room by a staff member. After the warden pronounces the offender 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. Litmus paper is used to test the level of lethal gas emissions remaining in the chamber. When the gas is neutralized and the chamber is cleared, staff members wearing disposable protective clothing enter the chamber and remove the offender's body for release to the county medical examiner.
The estimated average length of time that elapses from the time the offender is restrained until death is determined is approximately 38 minutes, though death is estimated to usually occur within 6 to 18 minutes of the lethal gas emissions.
The execution team is debriefed following an execution, and counseling is available to the team.
North Carolina has a written execution protocol which is required by law. A pamphlet summarizing North Carolina's protocol is public information.
D. Washington's Protocol on Execution by Hanging
Washington authorizes executions by hanging.27 From 1904 until 1963, Washington executed 72 offenders by hanging. Since the reinstatement of the death penalty, the state has executed two offenders by hanging. While lethal injection has been authorized since 1981 as an option the offender may select, no execution by lethal injection has been performed. Hanging is Washington's primary method of execution. The following is a partial description of Washington's protocol on execution by hanging.
Washington does not have a designated "hangman" or executioner. One member of the execution team pushes the button that releases the trap door. The only information available on the execution team is that the superintendent selects and participates on the team. Washington's field instructions for hanging state that "the Superintendent will appoint and provide a briefing to those individuals as required to implement the execution process. No individual will be required to participate in any part of the execution procedure."
Prior to any execution, the gallows area trap door(s) (Washington has two trap doors since it has in its past performed double hangings) and release mechanisms are inspected for proper operation, and 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 rope, which is of manila hemp of at least three-quarters of an inch and not more than one-and-one-quarter inch in diameter and approximately 30 feet in length, is soaked and then stretched while drying to eliminate any spring, stiffness, or tendency to coil. The hangman's knot, which is tied pursuant to military regulations, is treated with wax, soap, or clear oil, to ensure that the rope slides smoothly through the knot. The end of the rope which does not contain the noose is tied to a grommet in the ceiling and then is tied off to a metal T-shaped bracket, which takes the force delivered by the offender's drop.
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. If needed, a physical examination is conducted on the offender to determine if any special problems exist like obesity or deterioration of the bone or musculature structure that may effect the execution process. At this examination, the offender's height and weight are measured. Based upon this review of the offender's medical files and examination, the superintendent may consult with appropriate experts to determine whether deviation from policy is advisable to ensure a swift and humane death. For example, the offender may need a shoulder brace or have only one arm.
At the appropriate time on execution day, the condemned offender, in restraints, is escorted to the gallows area and is placed standing over a hinged trap door from which the offender will be dropped. Washington's gallows area does not have a platform or scaffold. The superintendent of Washington State Penitentiary describes the gallows area as like the balconies on old bank buildings. This "balcony" is attached to the building in which the execution takes place.
Following the offender's last statement, a hood is placed over the offender's head. The hood is fashioned to have a rough outer surface of material and is split at the open-end so that it comes well down over the offender's chest and back. Restraints are also applied. If the offender refuses to stand or cannot stand, he is placed on a collapse board. The noose is placed snugly around the offender's neck in such a manner that the knot is directly behind the offender's left ear.xi
Upon direction from the superintendent, a member of the execution team pushes a button that mechanically releases the trap door. The offender drops through the trap door. Escorts then move to the lower floor location to assist in the removal of the offender's body. After an appropriate time, the superintendent calls for the physician to make the pronouncement of death.
The estimated average length of time that elapses from the time the offender is restrained until death is determined is approximately five to ten minutes.
Individuals authorized to attend an execution consist of the media, law enforcement, the judiciary, family of the victim, and family of the offender.
The execution team is debriefed following an execution and counseling is available.
Washington has a written protocol for executions by hanging which is not required by law. This protocol is public information.
E. Utah's Protocol on Execution by Firing Squad
Utah authorized execution by firing squad before it became a state.29 In recent history, it has executed two offenders by firing squad. In 1977, Utah executed Gary Gilmore, the first offender to be executed in the United States after the reinstatement of the death penalty. In 1996, John Albert Taylor was executed by firing squad. Taylor elected this method of execution instead of execution by lethal injection, another method of execution available to Utah's condemned offenders. Utah's protocol on lethal injection is patterned after Texas' protocol. The following is a partial description of Utah's protocol on execution by firing squad.
Prior to any execution, executioners, "Death Watch" teams, tie- down teams, and escorts are selected and trained and rehearsals are conducted.
The firing squad is composed of six members. One of these members is the squad leader. The Utah Department of Corrections has no set policy on how firing squad members are selected. However, the members of the firing squad are certified police officers selected from a list supplied by a law enforcement agency and are selected by the executive director of the department or his designee. Service on the firing squad is voluntary. The executive director and the warden are ultimately responsible for the execution team. The firing squad is compensated at the discretion of the executive director, though Criminal Justice Committee staff has been informed that the firing squad involved in the Taylor execution received compensation.
At the appropriate time, the condemned offender is led to the execution area or chamber, which is used for both lethal injection and firing squad executions. The offender is placed in a specially designed chair which has a pan beneath it to catch and conceal blood and other fluids. Restraints are applied to the offender's arms, legs, chest and head. A head restraint is applied loosely around the offender's neck to hold his neck and head in an upright position. The offender is dressed in a dark blue outfit with a white cloth circle attached by Velcro to the area over the offender's heart. Behind the offender are sandbags to absorb the volley and prevent ricochets. Dark sheets are draped over the sandbags.
Approximately 20 feet directly in front of the offender is a wall. This wall has firing ports for each member of the firing squad. Each squad member can sight and fire out of the firing port. There is a platform rest attached to the wall and below the firing ports on which each weapon rests. The weapons used are 30-30 caliber rifles. No special ammunition is used. The weapons are owned by the law enforcement agency where the squad member is employed and are serviced and maintained by that agency.
On one side of the execution area is a room for the government's witnesses. On the other side of the execution area are two witness rooms: one room for witnesses selected by the offender; one room for media witnesses. The execution area is well lit with the lighting directed toward the condemned offender.
When the offender is restrained, the warden asks the offender if he has any last statement to make. Following the offender's statement, a hood is placed over the offender's head. The warden leaves the room.
The firing squad members stand in the firing position. They support their rifles on the platform rests. With their rifle barrels in the firing ports, the team members sight through open sights on the white cloth circle on the offender's chest. On the command to fire, the squad fires simultaneously. One squad member has a blank charge in his weapon but no member knows which member is designated to receive this blank charge. Shortly after the shots are fired, death is determined. A physician and medical personnel from the Utah Department of Corrections stand right outside the execution area while the execution is taking place.
The estimated average length of time that elapses from the time that the offender is restrained to the time that death is determined is eight to ten minutes.
Execution team members and all staff participating in an execution participate in a briefing and counseling prior to an execution and a debriefing and counseling are available following an execution.
Individuals authorized to attend an execution by firing squad include witnesses selected by the offender, the victim's family, government witnesses, and administrative staff (as determined by the executive director).
Utah has a written protocol on executions by firing squads which was developed to comply with state statutes and ensure consistency.
Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
