Late in the afternoon, the condemned inmate eats his last meal. I always eat dinner with them, Brazzil said. Sometime after 4 p.m., the inmate is given the chance to change clothes. He has the option of being executed in his white prison uniform or in street clothes, which most prefer. That period after 4 p.m. is a very intense time, Brazzil said.
Some inmates grow very quiet.
Others want to talk about spiritual matters. There have been many times when we ve all been down on our knees the prisoner and me, with correctional officers kneeling on either side. It s a very spiritual place back here. One inmate who made a profession of faith asked to be baptized, less than two hours before his execution. Brazzil explained the Baptist belief that baptism requires the total immersion of a believer, symbolizing death, burial and resurrection.