Global executions by the numbers

Did you know that the United States executed 44 inmates in 2011? Do you think that number is high or low? The answer is relative of course…Pro death penalty supporters would likely say the number is low – anti death penalty supporters would say that even one is too many. How does that number compare to other countries around the world?

We’ve put together a few charts to compare the number of executions globally, methods and trends to give you an idea of what’s going out there. Please keep in mind these are only the “official” figures – unofficial estimates for countries like China and Iran are in the thousands not hundreds.

Information courtesy of Nationmaster.com/AmnestyInternational.org – 2007 figures.

How execution method? Here is how the top 10 death penalty countries do their dirty work:

China – Firing Squad or Lethal Injection – most executions are now by lethal injection in China, however for murders, firing squad is still an option

Iran – Hanging is the primary method of execution, until recently stoning was an alternative method but has been removed from the Islamic Penal Code in 2012.

Saudi Arabia – Beheading is the primary method of execution – however, firing squad and stoning are still allowed in rare instances.

Pakistan – There has been a moratorium on capital punishment in Pakistan since 2008 – however, before that hanging was the only method of execution.

Congo – Beheading and hanging

Egypt – Hanging for civilians and firing squad for military offenders.

United States – lethal injection is the primary method of execution, however, a few states like Utah, allow inmates a choice between lethal injection and firing squad.

Iraq – Hanging

Taiwan – Firing squad

Vietnam – Lethal injection

Last meals provide food for thought: a look into death row appetites

By Ty Treadwell

John Wayne Gacy was executed in 1994 for murdering 33 people, although the real number is believed to be closer to 45.

John Wayne Gacy devoured a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken washed down with Diet Coke prior to his execution. Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh had two pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream. And Aileen Wuornos, the serial killer played by Charlize Theron in the film Monster, only sipped a cup of coffee before she kicked back on Florida’s lethal injection table. Some inmates order multi-course meals that cause rickety prison tables to groan beneath their weight, while others opt for just a snack or a smoke—assuming they can bum a cigarette in today’s tobacco-free prison society.

Death penalty rituals have always varied from state to state, not only in the method of execution but also in the care and treatment of the accused during his final hours.  One factor that remains constant, however, is the act of feeding the condemned prisoner a special last meal before they shake hands with the Grim Reaper.  Whether it’s a gourmet feast, fast food takeout, or a favorite childhood recipe, every man or woman is allowed to partake in one final meal of their choice.

This ritual seems to hold immense importance not only for the inmates and prison officials but for the general public as well.  Almost every news story about an execution lists the condemned man’s last meal alongside his last words and other details of his final moments, making one wonder why this greasy little morsel of information is so important.

Do last meal menus somehow shed light on the inner psyche of the condemned man himself?  Like a mystic reading tea leaves, do we hope to learn more about a killer by examining the gravy smears on his plate?  Could a proven connection between cheesecake lovers and axe-murderers aid law enforcement officials in solving crimes?  Or could it simply be that the public’s appetite for Death Row trivia is as large as some of the condemned men’s appetites?

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Texas switches to pentobarbital for upcoming execution

Pentobarbital is replacing the traditional 3-drug protocol in lethal injections.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice announced Tuesday that Texas will discontinue its use of the 3-drug cocktail in its lethal injections and instead switch over to the new single drug pentobarbital.

The first inmate to be administered the new protocol will be Yokamon Hearn, whose execution is scheduled for July 18th.

While switching to pentobarbital is the trend among states that continue to use the death penalty, Texas did so out of necessity as the state’s supply of pancuronium bromide, one of the key ingredients in the traditional 3-drug protocol, had expired and the TDCJ was unable to obtain more of the drug.

Ohio was the first state to convert to pentobarbital as a single drug in executions in March of 2011.

3 more executions planned for February

The year has been a busy one in the death chamber in the United States. Gary Welch was the first inmate executed on January 5th. Followed by Rodrigo Hernandez, Edwin Turner and Robert Waterhouse. Now, with only 9 days left in the month of February, there are 3 more scheduled; 2 in Texas and one in Arizona.

Bartee killed a man while on parole.

Anthony Bartee

Anthony Bartee is currently sitting on death row in Texas. Bartee was given a death sentence in 1998 after he was found guilty of capital murder. Bartee who was out on parole from another crime, had befriended 37 David Cook but then killed him for his Harley-Davidson and two credit cards. He had stabbed Cook in the back with a knife, shot his twice with a gun and then after Cook had already died,  slashed his throat.

Scheduled execution date: February 28th, 2012 – Texas

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