Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Should Inmates Get to Know How They Will Be Executed?
Currently, there is a shortage of the drug used for lethal injection, "leading states to use secret and suspect chemicals to execute condemned inmates." After a particular case in Missouri where an inmates final words were "I feel my whole body burning," a avoided question resurfaced in the Supreme Court, should inmates get to know how they will be executed? I think prisoners should get to know considering it's their body that's being killed. What do you think?
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I don't see why this is even up for debate. There's no harm in telling a death row prisoner what the drugs that will kill him are. It takes no extra effort to reveal this information. However, I don't think withholding this information violates the Constitution either. We're talking about people on death row. They committed heinous crimes that warranted their execution. They forfeited their Constitutional rights when they decided to commit their crimes.
ReplyDeleteI do not see how it is unconstitutional for an inmate to know how he will be executed. I disagree, however, that an inmate forfeits their constitutional rights after they are convicted—those rights are secured regardless of that. I would agree with Olivia, however, that there is no real reason that information should be withheld.
ReplyDeleteI see no need to why to keep what toxins are going to kill them a secret. Me personally, I wouldn't want to know. I agree with Andrew in the fact that regardless of crime, a prisoner is still protected under the constitution.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Olivia that I see no reason as to why this information is going to be kept from the prisoners, if they're going to die, they're going to die. There is no argument about that. Keeping the toxin in which they will be killed with a secret seems unnecessary and something that could cause conflicts which could've been avoided.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually confused as to why this is even a question. Why wouldn't you tell someone how they are going to die? I mean if they are using some secret formula, it really wouldn't matter because they person is going to die anyway. This just seems silly, if a prisoner wants to know how he is going to die then I think he should have that right regardless of his crime.
ReplyDeleteI understand the point Emily is making that it is the inmate's body and life and they ought to know how it will be ended, but at the same time does it really matter. I don't mean that in a negative way, but that person is already being killed, it's not like they will have the choice to die or not depending on what the method of their death is.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone that there is no real reason not to tell a prisoner what chemicals will be used in their execution. Why they would want to know, I'm not entirely sure, but to each his own. Another thing this article talked about was the possibility of extra pain that an inmate could face due to the chemicals used. While I do not have strong views on the death penalty, I definitely believe that an execution should occur as humanely as possible. If we know a chemical causes extreme pain and use it anyways, I don't think we are any better then the murderers themselves.
ReplyDeleteThese people should have the right to know how they will die to make sure it is as humane as possible. If they are not told this information ahead of time, how will they be able to make an appeal if need be? Furthermore the method of execution should not be a state secret to begin with because people have the right to know how their state enforces laws, especially one as severe as the death penalty.
ReplyDeleteIn general, I'm iffy about the death penalty at best, and I believe that if prisoners have to be killed, the execution should be done in the most humane way possible. That means that death row inmates should be able to choose their method of execution, and they should be given as much information as is available about that method of execution. If we're going to partake in the morally questionable practice of executing prisoners, we should take whatever measures we can to make the practice as moral as possible.
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