A Final Breath: Inside of the Modern Death Penalty

Adesuwa A.

Aug 5

4 min read

The person walking into the chamber knows they are taking their final breaths. They ponder what went wrong, what went right, and if whatever they did was worth a grave written with a pre-scheduled date. As they take their last looks at the world, they realize what a fatal mistake they’ve made.

Image via Rama Krushna Behera / Unsplash

Capital punishment, better known as the death penalty, is the execution of an offender after being convicted of a criminal offense by a court of law. In the U.S., this punishment can only be given if you are convicted of a capital offense, such as murder, treason, genocide, and the killing or kidnapping of a Congressman, the President, or a justice of the Supreme court. A jury must decide whether the offender is worthy of this punishment. Though, no one under the age of 18 is allowed this punishment, as it counts as ‘cruel and unusual punishment’. The death penalty was reinstated in 1976, and since then, there have been more than 1,500 executed by the US government. And (unfortunately), more than 190 people have been exonerated, or cleared of blame, after death. Most states today do not use the death penalty, and as of right now, 27 states authorize the death penalty. These states include: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North (and South) Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Now, you may think that the only two ways of executing are lethal injection, which is the most commonly used, and electrocution. But, there are two more methods that have rarely been used, which are lethal gas, and firing squad. Since 1976, 19 people have been executed by lethal gas, and 6 people have been executed by firing squad.

Capital punishment has been around for centuries, whether it was hanging or the Brazen Bull. Some global execution practices were based on social class and specific crimes. In the United Kingdom, for example, there is an extensive history of executions. As said before, methods of execution would depend on your class. If you weren’t upper class, you got the quick experience of being beheaded. If you weren’t, you had to be prepared for a gruesome time before death. If you committed treason, you were punished by hanging, drawing and quartering (for men), and burning alive (women). You could also be burned if you married a Jew, heresy, did witchcraft, or did an act of blasphemy. Or, they’d boil you to death. In this period, there were many crimes you were able to be executed for. Today, the UK has completely abolished the death penalty. The last execution took place on August 13, 1964, to which Peter Anthony Allen and Gwynne Owen Evans were hanged for murder. Execution for murder was suspended the year after that, and later permanently abolished. Right now, execution is still used worldwide by 55 countries, with China being at the lead for the most death sentences every year, and most of the time, the most executions. This is based on what the public currently knows.

To end things off, we’re going back to the U.S. As we know, you get your conviction, and the jury decides whether or not you deserve capital punishment. But, what happens the day of, or the days leading up to the execution?

The days leading up to the execution start with the prisoner being transferred from death row to a special death watch cell. In their final days, they can be visited by family, friends, and attorneys behind thick glass. Physical contact is sometimes allowed. They write their letters to family and friends about their final remarks. The day of the execution, the prisoner is given a final meal. The quality can depend on the prison. They then return to death watch to wait for the courts to give their final decision on any legal appeals. Some are given second chances. Most aren’t. The prison guards and execution team arrive and get everything ready, and then the people watching the execution will be led to the hall where it is taking place. Since the most common execution method is lethal injection, this is the scenario that will be used. The gurney will be brought into the death chamber. Their final moments begin.

The staff wait for the final call that informs them to begin the execution, as it has been cleared by the court. The clock ticks until it strikes 7. Now their final moments have really begun. Three drugs are prepared to be injected into the prisoners veins. Families cry, scream, and try to accept that a member of their family will soon die. The prisoner is able to say their last words depending on the state. Then, the prisoner gets injected with a sedative. Unconscious.

Should I,

The second shot, muscle relaxant, is given.

have done this?

The third shot, delivering the final blow, stops their heart and kills them. The prisoner has died with a prescheduled date forever to their name. Dying with the regret of their actions. At least, we hope.