For the Tafero execution, a synthetic sponge, which was substituted for a natural sponge, ignited. In the Medina execution one of the two sponges located inside the execution headpiece had not been soaked in a saline solution. This reduced the flow of electricity which heated the wet sponge and consequently caused the dry sponge to catch on fire. The six women on death row are housed at Broward Correctional Institution. The death chamber is located at Florida State Prison.
Inmates are already in lock-down.
At the time of the Medina execution, there were no written procedures for the execution process. Also, a patch on the chest is shaved for the placement of a stethoscope. The inmate then showers and returns to the holding cell, which has been stripped of all belongings. The superintendent reads the death warrant and an electrolytic gel is applied to the inmate's head and right calf. The inmate is lead into the death chamber and is strapped into the electric chair.