Dear Tipsters,
I cannot answer Jim's question, but I have been gathering
information on capital punishment for a project on which I am
working.
Here is part of a description that I wrote about capital
punishment::
Capital Punishment
Method 1: Electric Chair
........The safety switch is closed. The circuit breaker is engaged.
The execution control panel is activated. The executioner is signalled
either verbally or by gesture and the automatic cycle begins. Then the
current is applied. The jolt varies in power from state to state and
is also determined by the convict's weight. In Florida, exectioners
apply 2300 volts for 8 seconds, 1000 volts for the next 22 seconds an
then 2300 volts for 8 seconds. In other states, the third cycle may be
less (208 volts) but last longer (2 minutes). In a typical execution,
three or more executioners push the button, but only one is connected
to the actual electrical source. The estimated average time from being
restrained until death is 10 minutes.
Method 2: Gas Chamber
........The executioner opens a valve to allow hydrochloric acid to
flow into a pan under or behind the chair. He then drops either
potassium cyanide or sodium cyanide crystals into the hydrochloric
acid. This produces hydrocynic gas, which destroys the ability to
process blood haemoglobin. The prisoner is instructed to "take a
whiff." Within a few seconds of taking a breath, he becomes
unconscious. If the prisoner tries to hold their breath, the process
can take much longer and can lead to convulsions. After the prisoner
is pronounced dead, usually after 5 to 15 minutes, air filters are
turned on and cleanup crews don gas masks to decontaminate the body
with a bleach solution.
Method 3: Lethal Injection
........In the U.S., many states use a 3-drug combination, with 15 to
50 cc of each. The first drug, a large dose of sodium thiopental, a
short-acting barbiturate, renders the victim (convict) unconscious
quite quickly. This takes approximately 30 seconds. Saline solution is
then injected to clear the line. The next drug, pancuronium bromide, a
muscle relaxant, paralyses and collapses the diaphragm and lungs,
causing the inmate to stop breathing. This takes approximately 45
seconds. The line is again cleared with a saline solution. The third,
potassium chloride, causes cardiac arrest, stopping the heart. This
takes approximately 30 seconds. The estimated average length of time
from restraint to death is 17 minutes.
References
A Monitor: Methods of Execution and Protocols.
http://www.fcc.state.fl.us/fcc/reports/monitro/methmon.html
Lethal Injection.
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/6142/ijection.htm
Methods of Execution.
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/deathrow/deathrow_execut.htm
Methods of Execution.
http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/methods.htm
___________________________________________________
Stuart J. McKelvie, Ph.D., Phone: (819)822-9600
Department of Psychology, Extension 2402
Bishop's University, Fax: (819)822-9661
3 Route 108 East,
Lennoxville, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Quebec J1M 1Z7,
Canada.
Bishop's University Psychology Department Web Page:
http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy
___________________________________________________
