Friday 2 August 2013

Texas Running Out Of Lethal Drugs

Since 1982, Texas has executed 503 inmates, five times more than Virginia who have executed the second highest number of inmates, 110.
Apart from suggest that as the deterrent it has obviously failed, it takes a lot of the drug Pentobarbita to keep 'em falling and Texas is running out as it only has enough left for seven executions and it has two pencilled in for this month.
Texas switched to the single-dose option last year after one of the drugs used in its three-drug execution process became difficult to obtain and the state's supply expired.
Other death penalty states have encountered similar problems after drug suppliers, most in Europe, have refused to sell the drug to the States if it is used for executions.
The US state's Department of Criminal Justice said its remaining supply of Pentobarbital expires in September and that no alternatives have yet been found but they are exploring all options at this time.
I was reading only yesterday that a woman in the US Justice system was sacked because she helped an inmate convicted for rape 30 ago fill in the forms to request DNA testing. He was proved innocent, and she lost her job so maybe DNA testing kits should be ordered first before they are strapped to the trolley then possibly they won't need quite so much Pentobarbita.

7 comments:

Aaron said...

This is one thing we can agree on Lucy! The death penalty is so pointless. Studies show that it is not a deterrent, it costs far more than putting someone in prison for life due to the cost of the appeals, and it is a virtual certainty that people who were wrongly convicted have been executed.

The only plausible argument proponents make is that it brings closure to families of victims. But is this alleged closure really worth the cost and the very real risk of killing innocent people? I am convinced it is not.

Lucy said...

We only agree on one thing effay??

The families closure issue i can understand but as a deterrent it is busted and i am with you on the risk of killing innocent people.

Aaron said...

No, we have other areas of agreement. The endless failings of US foreign policy for one. Although you talk about it from this perspective where the US is evil, and I see us as mostly just having really dumb bureaucrats that need to spend way more time engendering trade relations and way less time trying to screw with other people's governments.

Lucy said...

I don't think i have ever declared the US as evil, i have written many posts praising the US, even defended it when others have called it evil and all Americans are brainwashed warmongers. If anything i kick Israel the most for what they get up to.
That said maybe that's how it comes across to you but i don't see the US as evil whatsoever.

Aaron said...

I meant no disrespect.

Anonymous said...

I think I'm with effay on this. I don't recall you labeling the US evil but most of your criticism is leveled at the US. Also many of your lifestyle and philosophical gripes seem to conflict with traditional American views: guns, economics, role of government, etc.

of course, most Americans seem dissatisfied with traditional American views recently too.

Anonymous said...

Tallest poppy and all that but the majority of the posts are things that happen here (privatisation, capitalism, government, right wing ideology etc) which cuts across in the usa also so although I may be criticising things here, you could also read it as griping about things there which may seem I am always having a go at usa but I'm moaning about things here mostly. Apart from guns of course, that ius aimed at you guys.