On the morning of the execution, the condemned inmate is taken from his cell and X-rayed and strip searched. This process, “to make sure there are no foreign bodies in him,” Crenshaw [the warden’s assistant at Oklahoma State Penitentiary] said, is to ensure that the inmate has no possession of harmful materials that could hurt him prior to the scheduled execution.
(Crenshaw referred to one condemned inmate that had obtained a harmful drug on the day of his execution. This inmate was rushed to the hospital only hours before his scheduled execution. His stomach was pumped, his life was saved and he was taken back to the penitentiary where his court ordered execution was carried out — a few hours late.)
Once the X-ray and strip search are complete, the inmate is given new clothing and placed in a holding cell that is just a few feet away from the execution chamber. Anytime the inmate leaves this cell for a visit, he is showered and receives a new set of clothes. There are “three officers that will monitor and log his every movement,” Crenshaw said. “There’s nothing he does that isn’t logged on the day of execution.”
Shortly before the hour of execution nears, the inmate will be taken from the holding cell and “afforded the opportunity to freely walk with staff” into the execution chamber. Crenshaw explained that this is the only time a death row inmate, during his time spent in the maximum security unit, is afforded the opportunity to walk freely amongst staff. Any other time the inmate walks in the facility with staff, he is bound by cuffs and shackles.
Allowing the condemned to make this final walk on his own, Crenshaw says, will “afford the inmate his dignity.” This final walk is approximately 4 feet, from the holding cell to the execution chamber.
Source: McAlester News-Capital, January 8, 2011
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