|
 General
Facts
The
Daily Routine of Death Row Inmates
Statistics
Death
Row Notables
General Facts
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Furman vs. Georgia |
(408 US 238,33L.Ed 2nd 346) represents the June 1972 U.S.
Supreme Court decision to strike down the capital punishment law on the
grounds it was unconstitutional. Thus the sentences of 95 men and one woman
were commuted to life in prison. In December 1972 the capital punishment
statutes were revised. In July 1976 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the new
statutes constitutional. Executions resumed in Florida in 1979. |
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The three legged oak electric chair was constructed in 1923 by inmates
and is still used today. The chair was originally located at Union Correctional
Institution; it was moved to Florida State Prison in 1962 when death row
was moved there. Prior to 1923 executions were carried out by counties,
usually by hanging. Electrocution became the official mode of capital punishment
in Florida by the authority of the 1923 Legislature. |
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Frank Johnson was the first inmate executed in the electric chair in
Florida. He was executed 10/7/24. In 1929 and from 5/12/64 to 5/24/79 there
were no executions in Florida. |
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is two minutes or shorter in duration. During the cycle voltage and
amperage levels peak on three occasions. Maximum current is 2000 volts
and 14 amps. |
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is an anonymous, private citizen who is paid $150 per execution. The
position of executioner was advertised in several Florida newspapers in
1978. |
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Death Row & Death Watch cells: |
A death row cell is 6x9x9.5 feet high. The death-watch cell at Florida
State Prison (where the inmate is brought when the Governor signs a death
warrant on him or her) is 12x7x8.5 feet high. Inmates may have black and
white televisions and radios positioned outside cell bars when on death-watch
status. |
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The
Daily Routine of Death Row Inmates
| Meals: |
Death row inmates take meals in their cells at 5a.m.,
10:30a.m.-11:00a.m. and 4p.m.-4:30p.m. Food Services prepares the trays
which are transported by insulated carts to the wings. Runners (inmates
in administrative confinement), accompanied by officers distribute meals
to the cells. |
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| Exercise: |
Death row inmates are taken to the exercise yard four hours a week;
twice a week for two hours each. The yard has basketball, volleyball and
weights. The inmates are counted at least once an hour. |
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| Visitors: |
Visitors are allowed every weekend from 9a.m. to 3p.m.: all must be
approved by the prison before being placed on the inmate’s visitor list.
If a visitor travels over 200 miles, the visitor can visit both Saturday
and Sunday. Members of the media may request death row inmate interviews
through the Office of Information Services at (904)488-0420. |
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| Showers: |
The inmates may shower every other day. |
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| Security: |
Inmates are escorted in handcuffs and wear them everywhere
except in their cells, the exercise yard, and the shower. They are in their
cells at all times except for medical reasons or legal or media interviews,
or social visits. When a warrant is signed the inmate is allowed a legal
and social call. |
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Mail,
Magazines &
Entertainment: |
Inmates may receive mail every day except holidays and weekends; they
may have cigarettes and snacks, radios and black and white televisions
in their cells. They do not have cable. They can tune into church services
on closed circuit television. The televisions are paid for through the
Inmate Welfare Trust Fund. Inmates occasionally play chess with a cell mate
on either side of him/her. |
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| Clothing: |
Death row inmates can be distinguished from other inmates
by their orange T-shirts. |
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Statistics
The following statistics have been compiled from data collected since
the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. For more information on the inmates on Florida's
Death Row, go to their webpage at
http://www.dc.state.fl.us
There are 371
inmates on Florida’s death row.
Of the 365 men
on death row(130 Black, 217 white, 18 other) 55 are housed at Florida
State Prison in Starke and 310 are housed at Union Correctional
Institution in Raiford.
The six women
on death row (4 white, 1 black, 1 other) are housed at Broward Correctional
Institution in Pembroke Pines. The state of Florida has never executed
a woman though two (Andrea Hicks Jackson and Judy Goodyear Buenoano) have
had warrants signed and stayed. Buenoano is currently scheduled for execution March 30, 1998, at 7:00 a.m.
10.48 years is the average length of stay on death row prior to execution.
29.8 years is the average age at the time of offense.
38.2 years is the average age on inmates on death row.
41.69 years
is the average age at time of execution.
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Executions each year since the reinstatement of the death
penalty in 1976
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| 1979 | 1 | | | | 1986 | 3 | | | | 1991 | 2 | | | | 1996 | 2 |
| 1982-80 | 0 | | | | 1987 | 1 | | | | 1992 | 2 | | | | 1997 | 1 |
| 1983 | 1 | | | | 1988 | 2 | | | | 1993 | 3 | | | | 1998 | 2 |
| 1984 | 8 | | | | 1989 | 2 | | | | 1994 | 1 | | | | | |
| 1985 | 3 | | | | 1990 | 4 | | | | 1995 | 3 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Total | 41 |
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Death Row Notables
Juveniles: There
are no juveniles on death row. Death row inmates younger than 16 at the time of their
offense were adjudicated as adults in court proceedings.
Two oldest death
row inmates:
Raymond M. Thompson - DOB 2/16/30, sentenced from Broward County in 1986.
William Cruse, Jr. - DOB 11/21/27, sentenced from Brevard County in 1989.
Two youngest
male death row inmates:
Ryan Urbin - DOB 10/24/77, sentenced from Duval County in 1996.
Keith M. Brennan - DOB 3/18/78, sentenced from Lee County in 1997.
Youngest female
death row inmate:
Deidre Hunt - DOB 2/9/69, sentenced from Volusia County.
Oldest Inmate
Executed:
Charlie Grifford - 72, executed on 2/21/51.
Youngest Inmates
Executed: (all 16 years old)
Willie Clay - sentenced from Duval County, executed 12/29/41.
James Davis - sentenced from Alachua County, executed 10/9/44.
John Spinkelink
was the first inmate to be executed in Florida after the reinstatement
of the death penalty. He was executed on 5/25/79.
Inmate who has
been on death row the longest:
Gary E. Alvord - received on 4/11/74; date of offense 6/17/73. Alvord
was sentenced from Hillsborough County.
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These statistics furnished by The Department of Corrections
- Bureau of Information Services. Updated 3/24/98.
For more information, call Debbie Buchanan at
(904) 488-0420, SC 278-0420 or e-mail her at buchanan.debra@mail.dc.state.fl.us
HTML Conversion by Brett
Ross.
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