Carrying out executions took a secret toll on workers -- then changed their politics

[ShazzieB]

This story was originally broadcast on NPR's "All Things Considered." The link below includes a 12 minute audio recording as well as the full text of the segment.

*snip*

During the past 50 years, 1,556 death sentences have been carried out across the U.S. Hundreds of people like Escobar played a role in each of those executions, and again, hundreds more are getting to work. Five states scheduled seven executions over the last two months of 2022 alone.

There are legal restrictions to revealing the identities of many of the workers while they're employed, and a culture of secrecy tends to keep them quiet long after they leave their posts. But NPR's investigations team spoke with 26 current and former workers who were collectively involved with more than 200 executions across 17 states and the federal death chamber. They were executioners, lawyers, correctional officers, prison spokespeople, wardens, corrections leaders, a researcher, a doctor, an engineer, a journalist and a nurse. Many are sharing their names and stories publicly for the first time.

The answers the workers gave about how their jobs affected them weren't all the same — and neither were their circumstances. A few said they volunteered for the task and that it didn't bother them much. Many more of the people NPR spoke with had little choice in their involvement. Execution work was often a required part of their jobs, and it took a toll.

Most of the workers NPR interviewed reported suffering serious mental and physical repercussions. But only one person said they received any psychological support from the government to help them cope. The experience was enough to shift many of their perspectives on capital punishment. No one who NPR spoke with whose work required them to witness executions in Virginia, Nevada, Florida, California, Ohio, South Carolina, Arizona, Nebraska, Texas, Alabama, Oregon, South Dakota or Indiana expressed support for the death penalty afterward, NPR found.

*snip*

https://www.npr.org/2022/11/16/1136796857/death-penalty-executions-prison

I'd be very interested in hearing whether this article changes anyone's thinking about the death penalty in any way. (Note: You have to read or listen to the whole thing or it doesn't count! )

Disclaimer: I was already opposed to the death penalty before reading this, and I still am.

[barbtries]

1. bookmarking to listen later.

i'm already opposed but would like to hear it anyway. i've been watching a trial on youtube for Matthew Terry who murdered his girlfriend. the state of FL is trying to kill him for it.

[brer cat]

2. Thanks for the post, ShazzieB.

I was already opposed although I sometimes find myself on the fence after especially heinous crimes.