Process: The condemned’s head is shaved and is then strapped into a chair where belts are tired across the chest, groin, legs, and arms. Then a metal electrode is attached to the scalp, forehead, and legs, and a blindfold is placed on the prisoner. The execution team then leaves the observation room. After that, a jolt between 500 and 2000 volts of electricity is sent through the body for about 30 seconds. The doctors wait for a few seconds for the body to cool down and then goes to check if the inmate is still alive. If they are, then another jolt is applied and this process continues until the prisoner is dead.
How long should it take? 2 – 15 minutes or more
Ethics: As the electrocution starts, many terrible things start happening. Usually, the prisoner’s hands start to grip the chair and limbs might move violently resulting in fractures or dislocations. The tissue swells and starts burning. U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Brennan once offered the following description of an execution by electric chair: “…the prisoner’s eyeballs sometimes pop out and rest on [his] cheeks. The prisoner often defecates, urinates, and vomits blood and drool. The body turns bright red as its temperature rises, and the prisoner’s flesh swells and his skin stretches to the point of breaking. Sometimes the prisoner catches fire…Witnesses hear a loud and sustained sound like bacon frying, and the sickly sweet smell of burning flesh permeates the chamber.” (Ecenbarger, 1994)’
First person to be executed: In New York, on August 6, 1890, William Kemmler was convicted of murder and was the first person executed by electrocution.
Where is it legal? 9 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia) as secondary method only
Green – Has previously used electric chair, but does not today
Blue – Has never used the electric chair (Alaska should be included in this)
How many people have died since 1976? 160
Botched case? On October 16, 1985, William E. Vandiver was killed by electrocution. After his first administration of 2,300 volts of electricity, he was somehow still breathing. The electrocution took five jolts of electricity which lasted more than 17 minutes.
5 Legal Ways of Execution 