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| 'Ready to Go': Alabama's New Death Chamber is Unveiled |
| By Birmingham News |
| Published: 10/21/2002 |
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A gurney has replaced the brightly colored chair that once sat in Holman Correctional Facility's death chamber. The room -- the former home of Alabama's electric chair, nicknamed 'Yellow Mama' -- has been remodeled to accommodate executions by lethal injection. The renovations followed legislation passed earlier this year requiring the state Department of Corrections to provide lethal injection as a means of executing the condemned. During a media tour October 7, prison officials showed how the renovations enlarged the chamber and the holding cell, just 15 steps from the gurney. Behind the cell's gray bars lie a cot, desk, toilet and shower. Designers also expanded the witness viewing rooms and made them accessible to the handicapped. The gurney holds a mattress covered in a white sheet with straps at the feet, knees, waist and chest. Armrests hold more straps. Overhead, 16 rows of lights gleam as mirrored casings allow anyone below to see reflections of the scene. The chamber is fully operational, Commissioner Mike Haley said. 'We're ready to go right now.' The next scheduled execution, Warden Grantt Culliver said, is set for next week when Donald Dallas could be the first in the state to die by lethal injection. He was sentenced to death for the 1994 kidnapping, robbery and murder of a 73-year-old Hazel Liveoak of Elmore County. Corrections officials said the death chamber renovations cost about $165,400. 'By the time we bring the access road up to standard,' Haley said, 'the cost will be about $186,000. The Legislature did not appropriate any money to accomplish this. We pulled the money from other projects and we will replace that whenever the land sale with the city of Atmore is finalized.' Officials said most of the work was done by inmates and corrections staff. Corrections officials traveled to several Southern states to see lethal injection chambers and study proce dures, Haley said, even witnessing an execution in Texas in February 2000. |
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