Death row
As death row is called a prison cell in which a convicted to death delinquent on the day of his execution waits. The prison wing that includes the death row is known as death row . Between 19,000 and 24,000 people around the world are waiting on death row to be executed.
Death row inmates in the United States
The following explanations provide an example of the handling of people sentenced to death in the USA , in the San Quentin Prison , California .
Overpass
The prisoners are usually transferred through the prisons of the district in which the trial and conviction also took place. After arriving at the state prison, the convicts are taken to the R&R (Reception and Release), where they are processed for the prison. Here they are photographed and fingerprints are taken. They are given blankets and given prison clothing (in Florida, for example, orange overalls). Two guards accompany them in the so-called Adjustment Center (acclimatization center), and A / C called. The prisoners stay here until the classification committee has decided which death row the prisoner will be placed on. This decision is usually made within a week and a half.
Death row
There are three death rows in San Quentin. The prisoners either stay in the A / C - this applies above all to gang members who pose a danger to other prisoners or who are themselves endangered by other prisoners - or they come to the north block with 35 death cells, in which prisoners are housed. which, in the opinion of the prison administration, do not cause any problems. There is also wing II (east block) with 251 death cells, in which the death row inmates are housed on the side facing the bay. On the courtyard side are the death row for prisoners with severe mental disorders and the normal prison system.
Death row equipment
The death cells are single cells that face the corridor - separated by bars - are open and have a size of approx. 2 m × 3 m. In the bars there is a small rectangular hatch, which is used to attach the prisoner's handcuffs. They are equipped with a relatively short steel bed that is firmly attached to the floor and a combination of stainless steel sink and toilet. All other items such as television, radio or typewriter must be ordered through the prison in San Quentin and cost a processing fee of 10 percent of the regular purchase price.
Waiting for the revision process
Death row inmates sit in cells for so long because it is very difficult to get an appeal in the United States. Many lawyers therefore refuse to undertake such a procedure. So it can take a convict several years to find a lawyer willing to bring his case to court again. On the other hand, it is quicker to sentence a defendant to death. Normally, the proceedings take four to six weeks to reach a guilty verdict. The decision on the punishment then takes a few more weeks.
Treatment of the death row inmates
The death row is searched regularly. A death row inmate must wear prison clothing. This consists of a T-shirt, shorts and a pair of socks. Until recently, inmates on death row were allowed out into the fresh air for at least an hour each day. This was then changed to 5 days a week and is currently possible once a week. It can also happen that the inmates are not allowed outside at all. However, it should be noted here that the prisoners must spend their courtyard walk separately from one another in an outside cage. As soon as the prisoners are outside their cell or an outside cage, they are always accompanied and have to wear handcuffs and ankle cuffs. An inmate on death row has two meals a day ( breakfast and dinner ) that he takes in his cell. Four days a week between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. he can receive visits from friends and relatives or from his legal adviser. Telephone calls are also allowed, as is receiving and sending letters - with incoming letters sometimes remaining in the post office for two to three weeks ; During the holidays, this range is even extended to four to six weeks. All outgoing letters have a large, red stamp with the address of the prison on them.
Single receipts
- ^ The knowledge magazine on Friday - The death penalty and its opponents ( Memento from October 28, 2010 in the Internet Archive ), BR-Online from October 8, 2010