You asked about how corrections departments in other states minimize the impact on staff who carry out executions, specifically (1) whether psychiatric review is available to staff, (2) whether the facility where the execution takes place is locked down or operates differently on the day of an execution, and (3) how protestors are handled.

SUMMARY

We obtained answers to your questions from two states: Alabama, and Texas.

Both state correction departments only use staff who volunteer to be part of an execution team. Both offer but do not require counseling. In addition, Texas uses different staff in different stages leading up to an execution because the inmate is moved between different locations and is housed at a different facility from the execution facility.

In Alabama, the facility where an execution takes place is locked down. In Texas, executions take place at the Huntsville facility. The facility is not normally locked down because the executions occur at a separate part of the Huntsville facility and death row inmates are housed at a different facility.

Both states designate protest zones outside the facility where executions occur. In Alabama, the protestors are about a mile away from the facility and most protests occur at the state capitol. In Texas, protestors are close to the facility because the facility is in a downtown area.

We will follow-up with other states and include any additional information in another report.

ALABAMA

Brian Corbett, public information officer for the Alabama Department of Correction, provided the following information on Alabama.

Impact on Staff and Psychiatric Review

Staff who are part of the execution team are volunteers and are offered numerous opportunities until the time of execution to leave the team. They have access to a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team that can provide both psychiatric and spiritual counseling. Treatment or counseling before, during, or after the execution is not required but is available on request. During debriefing after the execution, staff are reminded about the availability of the CISM team.

The CISM team is also available to staff after any type of incident, including executions, deaths, injuries, assaults, and other incidents. Chaplaincy services are also available.

By statute, the warden at Holman Correctional Facility is the executioner.

Facility Rules

Holman Correctional Facility, where executions occur, is locked down about two hours before a scheduled execution. The facility remains at full staff during the day with extra correctional staff added before and during the time of execution. Other facilities operate normally.

Protestors

The facility has a designated protest area. Holman Correctional facility is about one mile from a main highway with an entrance checkpoint at the highway. The protest area is by the main highway and

about 200 yards away from the entrance. Thus, protestors are a mile or more from the facility. On most occasions, protests occur at the state capitol in Montgomery about 200 miles away instead of at the facility.

TEXAS

Doug Dretke, director of the Correctional Institutions Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, provided us with the following information on Texas.

Impact on Staff and Psychiatric Review

The division is very conscious and sensitive to staff issues. The size of the department allows different staff to be used at different stages in the process and in different facilities. Inmates are housed at a different facility from where the execution occurs. Staff at the housing facility are not involved with carrying out the execution. When an execution date is set, the inmate is moved to a separate wing of the death row unit with different staff. In the final days before an inmate’s execution when final family visitations occur, the warden selects staff who are involved at this stage—staff who can handle the situation and who have not previously been involved. On the day of the execution, the inmate is moved to the Huntsville facility where the execution takes place. Only supervisors are part of the final staff—those with a certain level of experience who volunteer and are chosen by the warden. Five officers are selected to escort the inmate to the chamber and the warden handles the execution.

Post-trauma staff are available at each unit for all involved and first-time staff use them. A chaplain is also involved throughout the day and is available to staff.

Facility Rules

The facility is not locked down on the day of the execution because it is a separate facility from where the inmate was housed and is also a separate part of the Huntsville facility. Operating rules are generally no different on the day of an execution. But circumstances could require a lock-down at the facility or the inmate’s previous housing unit.

Protestors

The facility has a designated protest area. Two places are designated if large numbers of anti-death penalty protestors and victim supporters are expected, with the two areas separated so the two groups of protestors barely see each other. The Huntsville facility is downtown and the streets nearby are all city streets so that protestors are relatively close to the facility. Staff control access to the facility and there is a law enforcement presence.

CR: ro