Capital Punishment in Texas - Execution Procedure

Execution Procedure

The law does not prohibit multiple executions in a single day; however, Texas has not executed multiple offenders on a single day since September 5, 1951, when three offenders were executed on that day.

The law only specifies that "he execution shall take place at a location designated by the Texas Department of Corrections in a room arranged for that purpose." However, since 1923, all executions have been carried out at the Huntsville Unit, the former location of death row.

On the afternoon of a prisoner's scheduled execution, he or she is transported directly from his or her death row unit to the Huntsville Unit. Men leave the Polunsky Unit in a three-vehicle convoy bound for the Huntsville Unit; women leave from the Mountain View Unit. The only individuals who are informed of the transportation arrangements are the wardens of the affected units. The TDCJ does not make an announcement regarding what routes are used.

Upon arrival at the Huntsville Unit, the condemned is led through a back gate, submits to a cavity search, then is placed in a holding cell.

Before 2011, the condemned was given an opportunity to have a last meal based on what the unit's cafeteria could prepare from its stock. Robert Perkinson, author of Texas Tough: The Rise of America's Prison Empire, said in 2010 that most condemned prisoners order "standard American fare in heaping portions, the sorts of meals that recall a childhood Sunday." Many female prisoners under the death sentence did not take a last meal. However, Lawrence Russel Brewer, a white supremacist gang member convicted for the high-profile hate crime dragging death of James Byrd, Jr., ordered a large last meal and did not eat it before his execution. In response, John Whitmire, a member of the Texas legislature, asked the TDCJ to stop special meals. Whitmire stated to the press that Brewer's victim, Mr. Byrd, "didn't get to choose his last meal." The TDCJ complied. Brian Price, a former prison chef, offered to personally cook and pay for any subsequent special last meal since the TDCJ is not paying for them anymore. However, Whitmire warned in a letter that he would seek formal state legislation when lawmakers next convened if the "last meal" tradition wasn't stopped immediately. Afterwards, the TDCJ stopped serving special last meals, and will only allow execution chamber prisoners to have the same kind of meal served to regular prisoners. Many prisoners requested cigarettes (which were denied as TDCJ has banned smoking in its facilities).

Under Texas law, executions are carried out at or after 6 p.m. Huntsville (Central) time "by intravenous injection of a substance or substances in a lethal quantity sufficient to cause death and until such convict is dead". The law does not specify the substance(s) to be used; previously, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice the chemicals used for the lethal injection were the commonly-used three-drug combination of (in order) sodium thiopental (a lethal dose which sedates the offender), pancuronium bromide (a muscle relaxant which collapses the diaphragm and lungs), and potassium chloride (which stops the heartbeat). The offender is usually pronounced dead approximately seven minutes after start of the injection process; the cost for the three substances is $86.08 per offender. As a result of drug shortages, sodium thiopental was replaced by pentobarbital in 2011. Further shortages of this drug have pushed the cost of the drugs to approximately $1300 per offender. Still further shortages of pancuronium bromide (and the expiration of the existing stock) forced the state into switching to a single-drug protocol, using solely pentobarbital.

The only persons legally allowed to be present (none of whom can be convicts) at the execution are:

• the executioner "and such persons as may be necessary to assist him in conducting the execution"
• the Board of Directors of the Department of Corrections
• two physicians including the prison physician
• the spiritual advisor of the condemned
• the chaplains of the Department of Corrections
• the county judge and sheriff of the county in which the crime was committed
• no more than five relatives or friends of the condemned person

In response to victims rights groups, TDCJ adopted a board rule in January 1996 allowing five victim witnesses (six for multiple victims). Initially the witnesses were limited to immediate family and individuals with a close relationship to the victim, but the board rule was modified in 1998 to allow close friends of surviving witnesses, and further modified in May 2008 to allow the victim witnesses to be accompanied by a spiritual advisor who is a bona fide pastor or comparable official of the victim's religion.

In addition, five members of the media are also allowed to witness the execution, divided equally as possible between the rooms containing the offender's and victim witnesses. Under current TDCJ guidelines, a representative of both the Associated Press and The Huntsville Item (the local newspaper) are guaranteed slots to witness an execution (Michael Graczyk from the AP's Houston office is a frequent attender, having attended over 300 executions). Other media members must submit their requests at least three days prior to the execution date; priority will be given to media members representing the area in which the capital crime took place. College and university media are not permitted to be witnesses.

Upon the offender's death the body shall be immediately embalmed, and shall be disposed of as follows:

• A relative or bona fide friend of the offender may demand or request the body within 48 hours after death, upon payment of a fee not to exceed US$25 for the mortician's services in embalming the deceased; once TDCJ receives the receipt the body shall be released to the requestor or his/her authorized agent.
• If no relative or bona fide friend requests the body, the Anatomical Board of the State of Texas may request the body, but must also pay the US$25 fee for embalming services and TDCJ must receive the receipt prior to delivery.
• If no relative, bona fide friend, or the Anatomical Board requests the body, TDCJ shall cause the body to be "decently buried" with the embalming fee to be paid by the county in which the indictment resulting in the conviction occurred.