This Website from the radio documentary Website Soundportraits.org examines the chilling recordings of executions that were recorded on audio in Jackson, Georgia over the last few decades. In addition to audio of "botched" executions -- executions that had to be "reinitiated" or terminated due to a failure of the apparatus to effect the convicted's death -- the Website provides audio of Ray Suarez' NPR report, roundtable discussions by prominent members of the media and activists, a selection of prisoner's last statements, and the complete audio for all 22 executions. These include audio footage from the prisoner's cell, the warden's "command post," and the death chamber. As recent events in the news cause the nation once again to turn its attention to the question of the validity of capital punishment as well as the value (or detriment) of public executions, Execution Tapes provides a sobering documentation of what is at stake.
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