Summary of Death Row The Final 24 Hours Documentary & Discovery HD Channel Official

00:00:00 - 00:40:00

The documentary "Death Row The Final 24 Hours" covers the preparations for and execution of inmates on death row in Texas. It discusses the various methods of execution available to states and the challenges associated with each method. The film also follows the life of an inmate before he is executed, and the challenges he faces in prison.

• 00:00:00 This documentary follows the final 24 hours of a man on death row as he awaits execution. The film chronicls the man's preparations and reveals the various methods of execution available to states.
• 00:05:00 Texas is known for its high number of executions, and this documentary follows the last 24 hours of an inmate's life before he is executed. The process is carefully planned and carried out with care, with the execution team viewed as an elite unit. The documentary also follows the life of an inmate before he is executed, and the challenges he faces in prison.
• 00:10:00 Death row inmate, Steve Branch, was transferred to a holding cell in the death house, and has 21 hours to execution. Reverend Carol Pickett, chaplain at Texas Huntsville unit, was involved in 95 executions. Branch first met me in the death house, and talked about his fear of the place, his role as a chaplain, and his preparations for the execution. The role of the chaplain is to provide comfort to the inmate, and make sure he is prepared to die spiritually. Guards will keep a constant watch to ensure Branch does not attempt suicide on the morning of the day of execution. The equipment to be used in the execution chamber must be tested, and prior to the execution, the staff will go in to make sure the straps are in good working order, the phone to the governor's office is working, and it is in communication with the governor's office. Branch has a slim chance of avoiding death if he is executed. The defendants' attorneys are filing more motions and so forth. Once the 5th Circuit Court acts, it is very rare for the Supreme Court to take any action beyond that. Preparations continue for an electrocution, with careful preparation of the gas chamber. The gas used in electrocutions is poisonous and combust
• 00:15:00 This documentary covers the 24 hours leading up to an inmate's execution, focusing on the various preparations that must be made. It covers the difficulties of executing prisoners by methods other than lethal injection, including the case of Jesse Tafero, who died after being electrocuted three times. The documentary also discusses the difficulties of executing inmates with long hair, who can catch fire during the electrocution process.
• 00:20:00 In this documentary, viewers are introduced to the final hours of death row inmates in Florida. Some of the inmates choose to have a last meal that is reflective of their personality, while others choose comfort food. One inmate, who had tried to cheat the executioner, was flown down to a hospital and then flown back to the death house to be executed.
• 00:25:00 The video, "Death Row The Final 24 Hours Documentary & Discovery HD Channel Official" provides a documentary-style look at the process of executing prisoners in Texas. The executioner is key to the process, and the identity of the executioner is never officially disclosed. The executioner administers the lethal injection, starts the electric chair, or throws the switch to mix the chemicals used in the gas chamber. The first thing the executioner will see is the gurney, which is the place the prisoner will die. Within 30 minutes, the warden arrives with a five man tie-down team. The executioner would tell the inmate to sit up or lie down on the gurney, and each member of the team is responsible for securing a part of the prisoner's body to the gurney. The executioner would then usually have the same position for example, at the left arm and take care of the strap across the upper torso. Within 30 seconds, the officers would have all the straps and there's a bunch of them in a small room adjoining the death chamber. The executioner would then readies the drugs tubes, lead from the executioner's room into the death chamber, through a hole in the wall. The medical team must insert
• 00:30:00 The video documentary "Death Row The Final 24 Hours" documents the final hours of James Autry, one of the first inmates scheduled to die by lethal injection in Texas in 1983. Autry tells his fellow prisoners what to expect from the new method of execution, and explains that there is no more uncertainty about whether someone is dead or alive after they are executed. When the executioner lowers Autry's glasses, it is time for him to die. Three states - California, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania - do not specify a procedure for lethal injection, leaving the method open to variation. All other states, including Texas, specify three drugs in sequence.
• 00:35:00 Death row inmates are executed by two methods: electric shock and lethal injection. The documentary "Death Row The Final 24 Hours" documents the last 24 hours of an inmate's life, from when the inmate is woken up to when he is executed. The inmate is strapped into a chair and the chamber is sealed, with cyanide and sulfuric acid mixed inside. The inmate is then given a signal to die, and dies after four to seven minutes due to a blowout during the execution.
• 00:40:00 This documentary follows the final 24 hours of inmates on death row in Virginia. The filmmakers document the inmate's preparations for execution, the process of lethal injection, and the aftermath of the execution. They discuss the moral implications of the death penalty and whether or not it is an appropriate punishment.