Should prisoners get a last meal?

In many places, a death row inmate has the right to request a special last meal that he will consume a day or two before his scheduled execution. This does not, however, always mean that he receives any meal he wants. Prisoners are usually denied requests that include alcohol or tobacco products.

Why are last meals a thing?

What men and women request for their last meal reflects how they lived their lives and how they choose to face their deaths, and offers Americans a poignant human connection to the people they have decided should die for their crimes, scholars and legal analysts say.

Why do we give death row inmates a last meal?

A tradition of making peace is the last meal, if the condemned consumes the last meal, then he/she is at peace with the executioner. The fulfilled request of a last meal is a means for the executioner to be at peace with their duty. It is a symbol of being ok with what is order to be done.

Why are death row inmates offered a last meal?

Granting them a special request for their last meal is an act of mercy and allows them to embrace their humanity one last time. Even if they decide they can not eat what they requested, they should still be given the opportunity.

What are the daily activities of a death row inmate?

A Department of Correction (DOC) representative recently stated to the press that death row inmates spend 22 hours a day in their cells, have no congregate activity, and are always by themselves. Under DOC directives, death row inmates: 1. are escorted by at least one staff person and are placed in restraints when moving outside their cell;

How long do inmates spend on death row?

Most inmates spend an average of 12-15 years on death row while they proceed through the appeals process, though some have been there longer than 30 years. Death row inmates usually spend 23 hours a day in their cells.

How many inmates are on the federal death row?

There are about 60 people on federal death row and more than 3,000 on death rows across the country in state prisons. Thirty-two states have a death penalty. Massachusetts is one of the 18 states without a death penalty.

How many death row inmates in Alabama?

From 1983 to April 2018, Alabama has executed 63 people. As of 2018, Alabama had 191 inmates on death row, the 4th highest number in the US.