Paul seemed to be a guy next-door. He was 33, well built, handsome and hard working. With one exception - currently he was a prisoner of maximum custody state prison death row. He has been here for five years due to a crime of murder committed due to jealousy. His trial was short, the evidence was clear, shortly after the hearings, he was pronounced guilty. The sentence was firm: “You will be taken to the state prison and hanged by the neck until dead. The date and time will be revealed no sooner than 24 hours before execution”. Hearing the sentence, he was a normal man dressed in street clothes. It all changed suddenly. Yet in the courtroom he was put in transport restraints. His wrists were cuffed and chained to leg irons locked on his ankles. Then he was hold harshly by the guards and led to a prison van. From this moment he became a condemned prisoner deprived of all legal rights. On arrival to the jail his clothes as well as his watch and were taken away. He used to have a nipple piercing, which was removed. After a strip search and inspection of body cavities he was showered and received white prison tank top, two pairs of boxers and orange pants. Neither shoes nor socks were permitted, only flip-flops on bare feet. He was incarcerated in a small cell equipped with polyester mattress and a combined sink/toilet, a chair and tiny table. Shower with other inmates in common area was permitted daily.
It is clear that a condemned prisoner must pay the penalty. This include mental suffering on death row, dehumanizing humiliations, and lack of privacy. One of the most important mental tortures was to inform the prisoner about the scheduled execution no sooner than 24 hours before. The period in death row could range from few months to even several years. However sooner or later all would face the gallows. But to fulfil the ordeal, the condemned must be submitted to physical pain during execution. The method of choice for all males and females sentenced to death is considered short drop hanging which is efficient and induces a lot of physical pain.
Paul applied for a job in the prison kitchen which he received promptly as a reward for his calmness and good behaviour. He woke up at 5 am daily to finish at 8 pm. His job included preparation of meals and operating kitchen equipment. This work required perfect health, therefore he received frequent medical check-ups and dental care. He was also permitted to exercise regularly and to eat better food than other prisoners. To maintain hygiene, he was also obliged to shave and/or wax body hair daily. His underarms, hands and other exposed parts had to be hair-free to prevent any food contamination. Paul was too cute for words. As a correctional officer, I had been watching him from the first day of his incarceration. He was tall and thin with a nicely toned muscular body. My job was to escort him to the kitchen at dawn and back to his cell in the evening. I was obliged to watch him change from his jail clothes into a clean kitchen uniform. Upon returning to the cell I had to perform strip search to prevent any suicidal acts. He had a perfect body with hard muscles and a beautiful small patch of trimmed dark hair on his chest that narrowed to a strip and ran down to his crotch where it touched his penis. His scrotal sac and buttocks were completely hairless. His penis was long and fat; he was circumcised in childhood in high and tight style so the scar was well visible in the middle of the penis and there was no foreskin at all. His testicles were perfect in size.
Days passed quickly and his daily routine never changed. Paul worked six days a week and received a small salary. He was permitted to spend this money for some books, cosmetics, a body shaver, private underwear, sleep wear including long pants and ankle socks (actually it was not accepted for inmates as an outstanding luxury), and fine bed linen with pillows, actually was even allowed to wear socks on chilly days (excluding work, where the uniform must adhere procedures) and to sleep whenever he wished. His daily schedule was well organized, just as he would stay and work in community. Usually he used to start a day with morning masturbation. Though officially it was considered an undesired sexual activity in prison, the guards were instructed not to pay attention on inmates jerking off. Psychological study among inmates' population revealed that frequent masturbation diminished level of aggression. Practically he has built up a new own system of daily life of work and some relax without wasting time. His cell has been equipped with some book shelves and a radio. He received some privacy, however was continuously under close surveillance of CCTV. It was clear that the obtained level of rehabilitation was satisfactory enough to change his sentence to life imprisonment to even give him a perspective of release about 30 years. These evidence with positive opinion of warden and prison psychologist was sent for final evaluations. Unfortunately, the feedback was negative, no precedent was allowed and the case was definitely closed. Though Paul adhered totally to the prison life and was considered as an exemplary prisoner, slowly it became clear that he would have to complete the ordeal.
It is clear that a condemned prisoner must pay the penalty. This include mental suffering on death row, dehumanizing humiliations, and lack of privacy. One of the most important mental tortures was to inform the prisoner about the scheduled execution no sooner than 24 hours before. The period in death row could range from few months to even several years. However sooner or later all would face the gallows. But to fulfil the ordeal, the condemned must be submitted to physical pain during execution. The method of choice for all males and females sentenced to death is considered short drop hanging which is efficient and induces a lot of physical pain.
Paul applied for a job in the prison kitchen which he received promptly as a reward for his calmness and good behaviour. He woke up at 5 am daily to finish at 8 pm. His job included preparation of meals and operating kitchen equipment. This work required perfect health, therefore he received frequent medical check-ups and dental care. He was also permitted to exercise regularly and to eat better food than other prisoners. To maintain hygiene, he was also obliged to shave and/or wax body hair daily. His underarms, hands and other exposed parts had to be hair-free to prevent any food contamination. Paul was too cute for words. As a correctional officer, I had been watching him from the first day of his incarceration. He was tall and thin with a nicely toned muscular body. My job was to escort him to the kitchen at dawn and back to his cell in the evening. I was obliged to watch him change from his jail clothes into a clean kitchen uniform. Upon returning to the cell I had to perform strip search to prevent any suicidal acts. He had a perfect body with hard muscles and a beautiful small patch of trimmed dark hair on his chest that narrowed to a strip and ran down to his crotch where it touched his penis. His scrotal sac and buttocks were completely hairless. His penis was long and fat; he was circumcised in childhood in high and tight style so the scar was well visible in the middle of the penis and there was no foreskin at all. His testicles were perfect in size.
Days passed quickly and his daily routine never changed. Paul worked six days a week and received a small salary. He was permitted to spend this money for some books, cosmetics, a body shaver, private underwear, sleep wear including long pants and ankle socks (actually it was not accepted for inmates as an outstanding luxury), and fine bed linen with pillows, actually was even allowed to wear socks on chilly days (excluding work, where the uniform must adhere procedures) and to sleep whenever he wished. His daily schedule was well organized, just as he would stay and work in community. Usually he used to start a day with morning masturbation. Though officially it was considered an undesired sexual activity in prison, the guards were instructed not to pay attention on inmates jerking off. Psychological study among inmates' population revealed that frequent masturbation diminished level of aggression. Practically he has built up a new own system of daily life of work and some relax without wasting time. His cell has been equipped with some book shelves and a radio. He received some privacy, however was continuously under close surveillance of CCTV. It was clear that the obtained level of rehabilitation was satisfactory enough to change his sentence to life imprisonment to even give him a perspective of release about 30 years. These evidence with positive opinion of warden and prison psychologist was sent for final evaluations. Unfortunately, the feedback was negative, no precedent was allowed and the case was definitely closed. Though Paul adhered totally to the prison life and was considered as an exemplary prisoner, slowly it became clear that he would have to complete the ordeal.
