If they're going to execute a prisoner, why don't they let them choose their own mode of death out of the standard options, like the last meal?

@TheAllMemeingEye they do, or at least used to. they did for one of the last guys who got the firing squad, he thought it would be quicker https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Gilmore

1977

Gilmore chose to not pursue habeas corpus relief in federal court. His mother, Bessie, sued for a stay of execution on his behalf. In a five-to-four decision, the US Supreme Court refused to hear his mother's claim. The Court's per curiam opinion said that the defendant had waived his rights by not pursuing them. At the time, Utah had two methods of execution—firing squad or hanging. Believing a hanging could be botched, Gilmore chose the former, declaring, "I'd prefer to be shot." The execution was set for November 15 at 8:00 a.m.

Without commenting on the death penalty's existence in the first place, is there some reason not to use carbon monoxide for executions? My understanding is it's so painless people die to it by accident without noticing. The electric chair sounds horrific, firing squad seems sorta passable but messy and unpredictable, the little knowledge I have of chemical injection seems like it's wildly overcomplicated. What am I missing? Are they stupid?

@Tumbles good question. or nitrogen or co2

@Tumbles I think they don't want it to be painless. They want it to be a punishment.

I hope I'm wrong, but I don't have any other hypothesis.

@Fion maybe not just a punishment for the prisoner but for society too - it is a bit sterile and detached to gas someone to death, almost nazi and laboratory like. almost too easy.

honestly not sure why, its a good question, there must be a reason not to if it is cost effective and painless. maybe there are risks of it not working quick enough to be painless, or they havent shown it doesn't cause 'discomfort'

@Tumbles Negative connotations of WWII gas chambers I think. Electric chairs and lethal injections are much more about state's image, rather than efficiency or painlessness.

@Tumbles I don't know much about CO, but there already is a painless, simple and cheap solution to executions. Chemical injection. It's much more complicated to create a gas chamber and generate enough CO to fill it

@Shump Don't they normally just put a breathing tube and mask on the strapped-down prisoner rather than filling the whole room?

@Fion If they openly and explicitly just want it to be painful, then they should have no problem with torturing the prisoner then killing them painlessly, yet the lack of this implies either that's not their aim or they want plausible deniability

@TheAllMemeingEye @Shump @ProjectVictory @Fion found this

Three states — Alabama, Mississippi and Oklahoma — have authorized nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method, but no state had attempted to use the untested method until now. Smith's attorneys had raised concerns that he could choke to death on his own vomit as the nitrogen gas flows.Jan 26, 2024

alabama did end up doing it, first state to use nitrogen

https://apnews.com/article/nitrogen-execution-death-penalty-alabama-699896815486f019f804a8afb7032900

@Tumbles I would think so, because they won’t stick a needle in someone’s arm until they sanitize it with like alcohol swab !! like the dudes gonna die from infection before the lethal injection hits them 🙄 🤔 besides that you know how expensive lethal injection cost it’s ridiculous bullets are so much cheaper you know it’s also cheap rope gasoline and firewood Burn at the stake ! I think in certain circumstances they should be mandatory and public gets any ideas that they want to try and do it the other guy did they see what happened to him? Has to be a good reason like diddling little kids or trafficking, I think selling fentanyl should get the death penalty in all states molesting and trafficking, children !! 🔥🔥🔥