Lethal Injection

Overview

All death penalty states, the military, and the federal government authorize lethal injection as a method of execution. Jurisdictions use a variety of execution protocols using one or more drugs. Most three-drug protocols use an anesthetic or sedative, followed by a drug to paralyze the prisoner, and finally a drug to stop the heart. One and two-drug protocols typically use an overdose of an anesthetic or sedative, such as pentobarbital, to cause death.

Although the constitutionality of lethal injection has been upheld by the United States Supreme Court, many of the specific applications are being legally challenged. Because it is increasingly difficult to obtain legally the drugs commonly used in executions, some states have experimented with new drugs and different drug combinations to carry out executions, resulting in prolonged executions in which prisoners exhibited symptoms of pain and distress. The difficulty obtaining drugs for lethal injection has also driven up the costs.

Even though the issues surrounding lethal injection are far from settled, some states have attempted to cut off debate by concealing their execution practices under veils of secrecy. Laws passed over the past decade explicitly prevent the public from learning the provenance of lethal drugs, making it impossible to assess their reliability and efficacy.

DPI has compiled summaries of available information regarding the methods of execution currently authorized and the drugs used in executions over the past ten years. DPI’s report, Behind the Curtain covers the execution secrecy laws that have been imposed in many states. Statements from various pharmaceutical companies barring the use of their drugs in executions are also provided.