Lethal Injection

Oklahoma Unveils New Execution Procedures

To reduce risk of botched attempts.

Oklahoma prison officials unveiled new execution procedures to replace those used in April when a condemned man writhed and moaned before being declared dead 43 minutes after his lethal injection began. The new guidelines allow the state to keep using midazolam, a sedative used in several flawed executions earlier this year, although it calls for increasing by five times the dose given to Clayton Lockett in April. Other changes include more training requirements for prison staff and execution team members, and having contingency plans in case of problems with execution equipment or an inmate's medical condition. The changes also reduce the number of media witnesses from 12 to five.