Walk-Through

The heavy oak polished wood chair was hard without any cushioning. Im staring through the tall skinny window in the door directly in front of me. I'm in a small metal capsule with four more identical windows, two to my right and two to my left. 

While contemplating the windows, my fingers ran across the nylon straps attached to the chair arms. I felt frustrated. They lied. This is not what I expected. I can’t see my family. Its one-way glass on the the viewing room. I wanted to see them and say good bye. Where are they? I want them to see me se them and let them know its ok. I’m ok. This isn’t fair, I’m all alone. Then I realize that once my head is strapped in I wouldn’t be able to look to my left when the curtains were drawn, anyway.

“Come on, we can’t hang out in here!”, the officer said. As I walked out I realizes that not many inmates have...walked out of here.

From the gas chamber we passed two small one man cells. Each has a brand new mattress, better quality than the norm, and highly polished sink and toilet. Like a movie set. We passed the entry that leads from the outdoor patio where viewers gather beforehand. 
We then entered the lethal injection room, which did look as expected. I didn’t want to lay on that table. Very cold and sterile was all. I peeked into both viewing rooms. Visitors are not segregated as I thought. All are together in one room. Either the injection room or the gas chamber room. Electric chair was voted out of this state. 
I can’t say I am glad for the walk through, but I did say “yes” when it was offered.

In three days, someone will walk into that injection room and will not leave as I did.

I wish I could warn him of the one-way glass.

Execution Stayed

Recent scheduled execution was stayed due to “ineffective representation of counsel”. Most people think its the death row inmate filing appeal after appeal. It’s not. Inmates on death row are inundates by lawyers (ambulance chasers) trying to make a name for themselves by getting someone life in prison instead of execution. The inmate gets attention, visits and sometimes money.

Dead Man Walking

“The Green Mile”, wasn’t that a great movie? Modern prisons aren’t built like that anymore. Prisons with multiple tiers of bar laden cells and a guard at the end yelling, “Rack em!” are being used for lower custody inmates now. Death row and “Level 5’s” are now being put in modern state-of-the-art single man pods. These new cells have showers that roll up to the front door. They have a rear door that opens up to a “dog run” where they can exercise one hour a day. Mail is read in your cell on a video screen. In some cases, visitation is done from your cell on video as well. The inmate execution experience in my prison is much different than portrayed in “Dead Man Walking”.
Death row was moved to a new facility, a mile away but the death house stayed where it was. So you remain in your regular cell during the days and hours leading up to execution, even last meal. When the lawsuits and appeals have run out there is a deadline for execution. Media have been in front of the prison for days during the last minute appeals. The entire prison complex is on lock-down for fear of riots and media contact.
The execution is always carried out in the early morning hours (4am), The inmate is cuffed up, taken from his cell and placed in a panel van with no windows. Two identical vans are uses, on as a dummy vehicle. Here the new death row unit is over a mile from the death house. Public roadways are uses. The vans come in through the high prison walls and over to the death house. Inmate is then taken from the van into the small waiting cell just feet outside the room containing the lethal injection table. That’s it. Quite methodical and by the book. No emotion. No extras. Just calculated moves closely monitored by complex warden.
I always wonder about all the people affected. Families of inmate and victims, escort officers, person who buys the food for the last meal, judge, jury, press who witness execution, etc. Who cleans the death house? So many people touched by grief because of one person’s error, be it ever so brief. Two people are being put to death in next 30 days, a stone’s throw from my bed.