"Changes To Idaho’s Next Execution," is the Boise State Public Radio report by Scott Ki.
Idaho Department of Correction officials have made some changes to how they handle executions. This comes nearly three months after the state executed convicted murderer Paul Ezra Rhoades.
In the months since Rhoades’ execution, the Idaho Department of Correction analyzed the 34 page document that details each step in the process. It’s now 35 pages long. Brent Reinke directs the Department. He says the biggest change now allows a single drug cocktail for lethal injection.
Brent Reinke: “So we have two, three-drug protocols and two, single drug protocols.”
That wasn’t the case when Rhoades was executed. There were only two, three drug cocktails as options. Attorneys for Rhoades argued that a three drug combination could have left him conscious and in pain when administered. A federal judge rejected that argument. Reinke says the Department added single drug options because of availability of chemicals, not because of the legal challenge. Other changes are administrative.
"Idaho makes changes to execution procedure," by Jamie Grey for Northwest Cable Network.
Though the execution Standard Operating Procedure, or SOP, was considered successful, the DOC has made changes with the help of attorneys and people from the execution team.
"I wouldn't say they [the procedures] were necessarily incorrect or wrong, but it was a challenge for us," Reinke said.
The subsequent changes are mostly to staffing, such as dividing up the warden's duties and combining the roles of medical and injection teams. Media witnesses will also be chosen a week prior to an execution, rather than the day of.
The new procedure also addresses a sometimes controversial point in lethal injections: the three-drug protocol that was used in Rhoades' execution. Now, there are other methods available.
"We've gone from two options to four options," Reinke said. "There's two three-drug options and two single-drug options. We've taken a look at some of our sister states and a number of states have gone to a single-drug option because of availability."
The three-drug protocol involves an anesthetic, a paralytic and a drug that causes cardiac arrest. The single-drug protocol only involves the use of an anesthetic, which in a high dose will cause death.
"Changes for state execution policy and procedures," by Erik Avanier doe KBOI-TV.
Under the improved operating procedure, the warden will no longer be solely in charge of every aspect of the execution.
"There's just too many areas around the facility for that individual to take care of in this kind of setting so we have an administrative team that can be spread out a little more," Reinke said.
The administrative team will handle most of the logistics surrounding the execution while the warden continues to focus on the day-to-day operations.
Members of the media are usually selected as witnesses of the execution but in the past, the selection occurred on the day of the event. Under the new policy, members of the media will be selected seven day in advance.
"That will give us some time to work with those media witnesses prior to them representing the public in that event," Reinke said.
The new policy also allows additional witnesses related to the case to view the execution.
And:
During past executions, the team responsible for administering the lethal injection was labeled the injection team but Reinke said their title has changed to medical team.
There are other ideas Reinke would like to put in place regarding execution procedures and policies but KBOI was told those specific recommendations would require approval from state law makers.
Related posts are in the lethal injection index.
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