typically 15-20 seconds to carry out).  This duration must subject the prisoner to far more mental torture because they know they are being put to death. Lethal injection is clearly much less dramatic than hanging and, therefore, probably easier for the staff and witnesses to cope with. It is suitable for both sexes and all ages of prisoners where a suitable vein can be located. However, there is often a problem where the prisoner has been an intravenous drug user or simply has small veins which tend to contract even further when they are frightened. One wonders if lethal injection is perceived as being as much of a deterrent as hanging in the minds of criminals or whether they would feel it was a "soft option"? This is an important point because if the state is going to take the life of a person at all, then surely it should seek to produce the maximum deterrence from so doing without resorting to extreme cruelty. For a detailed look at lethal injection, click here . Conclusions. Carried out carefully and humanely, using an accurately measured drop and modern noose, hanging is possibly the least cruel way to execute a criminal. In 20th century Britain , the whole process was over extremely quickly and every effort was made to minimise the criminal's mental and physical suffering. However, as can be seen from the examples cited above, it can also be a very cruel death, if either botched or carried out in such