Overview
- Tennessee's Department of Correction has denied public access to its revised execution protocol, citing confidentiality laws protecting the identities of executioners and others involved.
- The updated protocol replaces a three-drug lethal injection method with a single dose of pentobarbital, a controversial drug linked to pulmonary edema, described as akin to drowning by critics.
- Executions in Tennessee have been on hold since 2022 after an independent review revealed noncompliance with drug testing and purity standards in past executions.
- Critics argue that the secrecy surrounding the new protocol undermines accountability, with past transparency efforts revealing significant flaws in the state's execution procedures.
- The U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing the use of pentobarbital in executions, adding further uncertainty to Tennessee's plans to resume capital punishment.