So Long as They Die
Lethal Injections in the United States

Related Material U.S.: States Negligent in Use of Lethal Injections Press Release, April 24, 2006             Download Summary and Recommendations pdf file (10 pages, 210 Kb) Download PDF file of this report (426 Kb, 67 pages) Download PDF of report with cover (662 Kb, 69 pages) Purchase a printed version of this report More on Human Rights Watch's work on the Death Penalty More on Human Rights Watch's work on the United States

Summary

Recommendations

To State and Federal Corrections Agencies
To State Legislators and the U.S. Congress

I. Development of Lethal Injection Protocols

Oklahoma
Texas
Tennessee
Lethal Injection Machines
Public Access to Lethal Injection Protocols

II. Lethal Injection Drugs

Potassium Chloride
Pancuronium Bromide
Sodium Thiopental
The Failure to Review Protocols

III. Lethal Injection Procedures

Qualifications of Execution Team
Checking the IV Equipment
Level of Anesthesia Not Monitored

IV. Physician Participation in Executions and Medical Ethics

V. Case Study: Morales v. Hickman

VI. Botched Executions

VII. International Human Rights and U.S. Constitutional Law

International Human Rights Law
U.S. Constitutional Law

Appendix A: State Execution Methods

Acknowledgements

April 2006   Volume 18, No. 1(G)