Alabama ‘close’ to finishing nitrogen execution protocol

 1666857402 
1676543279
A chainlink fence with barbed wire and a guard tower in the background stands against a blue sky with some clouds.

A fence stands at Elmore Correctional Facility in Elmore, Ala., June 18, 2015. The head of Alabama's prison system said Wednesday that a protocol for using nitrogen gas to carry out executions should be finished this year.

Brynn Anderson, AP Photo

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The head of Alabama’s prison system said Wednesday that a protocol for using nitrogen gas to carry out executions should be finished this year.

“We’re close. We’re close,” Alabama Commissioner John Hamm said of the new execution method that the state has been working to develop for several years.

He said the protocol “should be” finished by the end of the year. Hamm made the comment in response to a question from The Associated Press about the status of the new execution method. Once the protocol is finished, there would be litigation over the untested execution method before the state attempts to use it.

Nitrogen hypoxia is a proposed execution method in which death would be caused by forcing the inmate to breathe only nitrogen, thereby depriving them of the oxygen needed to maintain bodily functions. Alabama, Oklahoma and Mississippi have authorized the use of nitrogen hypoxia, but it has never been used to carry out a death sentence.

Alabama lawmakers in 2018 approved legislation that authorized nitrogen hypoxia as an alternate execution method. Supporters said the state needed a new method as lethal injection drugs became difficult to obtain. Lawmakers theorized that death by nitrogen hypoxia could be a simpler and more humane execution method. But critics have likened the untested method to human experimentation.

The state has disclosed little information about the new execution method. The Alabama Department of Corrections told a federal judge in 2021 that it had completed a “system” to use nitrogen gas but did not describe it.

Although lethal injection remains the primary method for carrying out death sentences, the legislation gave inmates a brief window to select nitrogen as their execution method. A number of inmates selected nitrogen.

Hamm also said a review of the state’s execution procedures should be completed, “probably within the next month.”

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey requested a pause in executions to review procedures after lethal injections were halted. Ivey cited concerns for the victims and their families in ordering the review in Alabama.

“For the sake of the victims and their families, we’ve got to get this right,” Ivey said.

A group of faith leaders last week urged Ivey to authorize an independent review of execution procedures, as Oklahoma and Tennessee did after a series of failed lethal injections in those states.

 

What are your unique holiday traditions? NPR wants to know

The holiday season is full of traditions and we all celebrate them a bit differently. NPR wants to your most unique holiday traditions. What makes celebrating this time of year feel special for you?

What are your unique holiday traditions? NPR wants to know

The holiday season is full of traditions and we all celebrate them a bit differently. NPR wants to your most unique holiday traditions. What makes celebrating this time of year feel special for you?

3 culinary tricks that might get you to eat more veggies, according to chef Roy Choi

Chef Roy Choi, known for his Korean-Mexican fusion food trucks, focuses on veggie-forward dishes in a new cookbook. He shares techniques to get you excited about your greens, plus 3 flavorful sauces.

3 culinary tricks that might get you to eat more veggies, according to chef Roy Choi

Chef Roy Choi, known for his Korean-Mexican fusion food trucks, focuses on veggie-forward dishes in a new cookbook. He shares techniques to get you excited about your greens, plus 3 flavorful sauces.

Trade tensions hang over Trump’s Asia trip, but he still aims to make a deal

President Trump plans to attend a summit in Malaysia before meeting the new Japanese prime minister in Tokyo and talking to Chinese President Xi Jinping in Korea.

Blue Jays rout Dodgers 11-4 in World Series opener

Addison Barger launched the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history, as the Toronto Blue Jays overwhelmed the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener Friday night in Toronto.

More Crime Coverage