With a number of executions of inmates who have waived their appeals approaching in the U.S., Amnesty International has released a new report, “Prisoner-assisted homicide—more ‘volunteer’ executions loom.” The report addresses the fact that about 12% of executions in the U.S. since the death penalty was reinstated have been of inmates who gave up appeals that would have extended their time on death row. The report looks at some of the possible reasons for the large number of volunteers including mental illness and the conditions on death row. The report examines the cases of some of the volunteers who have been executed, and provides statistics on the number of volunteers in each state. Executions of volunteers are approaching in Arizona, Ohio, South Dakota, and possibly Tennessee.
(Read Amnesty’s Report on Volunteers, posted May 17, 2007). See Mental Illness and Time on Death Row.