- [Narrator] Death row is the part of a prison
that houses inmates awaiting the sentence
of capital punishment for some seriously heinous crimes.
While capital punishment
is an intensely controversial issue,
it's still famously legal across the United States.
But the U.S. isn't the only country in the world
with a death row.
From the crimes that can land you there,
to the last meal you're given,
it all varies wildly depending on where you're condemned.
So, let's take a look
at some of the most shocking differences
in death rows around the world.
Oh boy, this one is gonna be an eye opener for sure.
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The countries.
As of January 2021, 109 countries have abolished
capital punishment entirely.
These include all European Union countries,
plus the UK, Australia, Canada, Mongolia,
Argentina, Mexico, The Philippines, and many more.
Now, a further 28 countries are classed
as abolitionist in practice,
meaning they uphold capital punishment in law,
but haven't officially carried a sentence out
in more than 10 years.
These include the Russian Federation, Myanmar, Morocco,
Algeria, Kenya, and, most surprisingly, South Korea,
a country more famous for its K-pop and K-Drama
than its K-apital punishment.
Makes you wonder if "Squid Game" was more of a documentary.
Just eight reserve the penalty for serious offenses,
like war crimes, in countries that have had issues
with uprisings against leading regimes in the recent past.
For that, look to Brazil, Kazakhstan, Guatemala,
and several others.
But then there's the shockingly high
55 retentionist countries,
the ones where the penalty is fully upheld within the law.
If shocking news headlines are anything to go by,
you're probably thinking that, alongside the U.S.,
these are mainly countries
known for their harsh punishments,
like China, Saudi Arabia, and North Korea.
But surprisingly, Japan is also on that list,
the only fully democratic country to do so.
Before the keyboard warriors butt in,
the U.S. technically classes as a democratic republic,
making Japan's position on the penalty
all the more shocking.
And, despite appearances,
not every European country is abolitionist.
Here's looking at you Belarus.
Led by an authoritarian regime,
Belarus' government mainly uses its punishing power
to suppress political unrest.
However, the use of capital punishment
is also a major hurdle that's prevented the country
from becoming part of the European Union.
Now, despite what many people think,
the death sentence isn't legal in every state in the U.S.
Currently, 24 states allow it, 23 don't,
and three have moratoriums in place,
meaning prisoners can still be given the sentence,
but the death part is temporarily pardoned.
So, if you're planning on doing anything criminally dumb
in the near future,
be sure not to do it in any of these places
if you don't wanna end up paying with your life.
But no matter where you are in the world,
it's not a crime to hit those Like
and Subscribe buttons down below.
All done?
Great, because you're not gonna believe
some of the stuff we're about to get into.
(image whooshing) (calm music)
The crimes.
They say, "If you're prepared to do the crime,
"then be prepared to do the time."
But some crimes have more time attached to them,
depending on where you are in the world.
And in some places, your time would be well and truly up.
Let's start in the U.S.
Here, there are 42 capital offenses you can commit
that'll guarantee you a spot on death row.
Homicide is the big one, with other more specific crimes
such as, "wilful wrecking of a train resulting in death,"
or, "mailing injurious articles with fatal intent."
Others are less obvious though,
such as espionage, the practice of spying,
or treason, which is defined as levying war
against the government.
Because these acts pose a serious threat
to national security, especially in times of war,
they're considered crimes worthy of the death penalty.
But not so in other countries.
Over in Japan, capital punishment is only doled out
for crimes that meet a very strict nine-point criteria
called the Nagayama Standard.
Here, elements of the crime like the degree of viciousness,
the motive, remorsefulness,
and sentiments of bereaved family members
are weighed against each other.
In particular, the number of victims involved
tips the scale heavily.
So the sentence is usually only reserved
for serial homicides.
As such, only 16 of the 130 death sentences
Japanese courts have handed out since 1993
have involved a single victim.
That's just 12%.
In nearby North Korea, it's a little bit more, uh, strict.
The militaristic rule of the country
means crimes against the state
are considered the worst of all.
So, alongside homicide and treason,
comparatively smaller crimes like counterfeiting, smuggling,
and the vaguely titled offense of grave misdemeanor
can all warrant the death penalty.
I mean, what does a grave misdemeanor even entail?
Are we talking robbery or swearing?
Assault or putting raisins in cookies?
Theft or farting in an enclosed space
when people are around you?
It could be anything.
As bad as North Korea's vague laws sound,
they're nothing compared to Nigeria's.
In 12 predominately Muslim states
in the north of the country, a strict Islamic law
called Sharia law operates in the criminal
as well as the super religious domain.
Because of the strict religious ruling,
capital punishment is handed out for things like adultery,
homosexuality, and even blasphemy.
Specifically, speaking ill of Islam's holy figures
will land you in hot water.
So badmouthing God in the highly conservative parts
of this country can book you an express ticket
to meet the big man himself.
But even Nigeria's laws look tame
compared to Saudi Arabia's.
Sharia law is absolute there,
so crimes like blasphemy, or waging war on god,
are also punished in this country with the death penalty.
But they take this stance so seriously
that witchcraft can also land Saudi citizens
with a capital sentence.
Practicing sorcery, magic, or anything supernatural
is considered a capital offense.
Oh, that'd make for one really harrowing
"Harry Potter" book, that's for sure.
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The conditions.
Once the death sentence has been passed in a court of law,
the life of a prisoner changes dramatically.
Having been condemned to the worst fate imaginable,
their world is turned upside down and placed behind bars.
Now usually, in America, prisoners who are just serving time
are kept in general population.
Here, most get their own tiny cells to sleep in,
ranging from about 50 to 70 square feet in size,
complete with a sanitary facility and a bed.
While they sleep alone,
they can still mingle with other prisoners during the day,
take on jobs like canteen cooking inside the facility,
and, depending on the state they're in,
can access the outside yard every day.
That's about all the liberties they get though,
which sounds incredibly restrictive.
Over on death row though,
inmates can only dream of such freedoms.
According to Florida's Department
of Correctional Facilities, death row inmates are kept
in cells just 54 square feet in size.
These can include a toilet,
but don't always include washing facilities.
To clean themselves, they're escorted in handcuffs
to showers and watched the entire time by several wardens
in case they get any bright ideas.
There's no canteen for these guys, just three square meals
served in the cells at 5 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 4 p.m.
And the only cutlery they're allowed is a spork.
They can have snacks, radios, even small 13-inch TVs
to keep the boredom at bay,
but there's no AC, no cable TV or streaming services,
and they're rarely allowed to mingle with other prisoners.
They're allowed out of their cell for up to one hour a day
for exercise and visitation rights,
but the other 23 they spend in solitary confinement.
However, once their death warrant is signed,
meaning all their appeals have failed,
they get moved to a slightly larger 84 square foot cell.
That's about the only upgrade there is though,
as all radios and TVs are moved outside the cells,
and they can only watch or listen to them through the bars.
Over in Texas though, the restrictions are even more severe.
While each cell is guaranteed to have a window,
there's no word on what the view is like.
On top of that, TVs are out of the question,
and depending on their custody level,
only some inmates may have access to a radio
to help pass the time.
But if we rewind to 2016 and head over to Delaware,
back when the death penalty was still legal in the state,
regulations were a little laxer.
Single cells were roughly 91 square feet in size,
but inmates could also be housed with other prisoners
in some maximum-security units.
Depending on the restriction level of the units
they were assigned to, these inmates could even eat
in the dining hall with everyone else.
Not only that, but they could also enjoy
up to 21 hours a week of exercise, shower,
and visitation time.
It's not exactly what I would call comfortable,
but that's almost luxurious
compared to current conditions in Alabama.
Here, cells can be as small
as just 40 square feet all round.
That's barely what you'd call closet space.
There are no windows and no AC, and with Alabama summers
averaging a scorching 90 degrees Fahrenheit,
the heat is often unbearable.
Some prisoners are issued with a fan,
but it doesn't do much,
and many resort to standing in their toilets
to try and cool down.
But that's just the U.S.A.
So how do these conditions compare to the rest of the world?
Well, if we take a trip over to Japan,
it's actually not all that different.
Like America, death row cells here are solitary and tiny.
But at around 80 square feet,
they're bigger than most of the others we've seen.
Although you might notice that they don't contain a bed.
In traditional Japanese custom, the beds fold out,
giving inmates more room to, uh, repent, I suppose.
It also includes a toilet, bookshelf, and low sink,
but to prevent the inmates from harming themselves,
each has been designed with round corners.
Even the taps on the sink are operated by a time-out button
so that they can't flood the cells.
Like America, inmates are fed three times a day
on a diet that consists pretty rigidly
of just rice, soup, and a small portion of meat or fish.
They do not have access to a commissary or prison shop,
so there's no additional food on the menu.
On top of that, TVs are out of the question.
And depending on their custody level,
only some inmates may have access to a radio
to help pass the time.
They're allowed to bathe just three times a week
during the hot summer months,
and only two during the winter.
The only reprieve they do get
is a 30-minute stint of exercise in a fenced yard every day.
This doesn't sound good, but it's practically heaven
compared to India's death rows.
India is incredibly secretive about its death row practices
and rarely releases any official documents
about the conditions its inmates are kept under.
But some stories told by prisoners
who had their convictions overturned
paint a pretty bleak story.
They're held in solitary confinement for most of the day,
and conversation with any other inmates
is strictly prohibited.
There's no air conditioning despite temperatures rising
to 113 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer,
but the cells do have windows.
Unfortunately, many look out over a set of gallows
in the prison yard, serving as an unavoidable,
tortuous reminder of the fate that awaits them.
In Vietnam though, it gets worse.
Like India, very little is known
about the death row system here,
but the laws require inmates to be held
in solitary confinement and monitored around the clock.
According to stories from former inmates,
if a death row prisoner is deemed particularly dangerous,
they have one of their feet shackled to the cell.
In these cases, the prisoners are only released
from the shackles for 15 minutes a day,
in which time they can bathe, eat, and use the toilet.
Oh man, that sounds so bad
it almost makes Alabama look good.
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The wait.
Once the gavel comes down and the death sentence is passed,
prisoners aren't immediately shipped off to the afterlife.
In many countries, the appeals
and potential exoneration process is a long and arduous one
that can see prisoners pacing around their cells for years.
But it's not the same the world over.
So, let's start in America.
With so many legal hoops to jump through regarding appeals,
scheduling, petitions, Supreme Court decisions,
and trials that can last decades,
prisoners can expect to wait an average of 22 years
between sentencing and punishment.
During this time around 25% of inmates pass away
from natural causes.
Back in the 1990s though,
this was an average of just eight years,
but the complexity and time-consuming nature
of the sentences, plus the ever-growing backlog of cases
has seen this wait time increase.
And that's just the average.
Inmate Raymond Riles spent more than 45 years on death row
in Texas before being resentenced to life in prison in 2021.
But once the death warrant has been signed,
depending on the state, prisoners will be informed
they have between just 10 and 90 days to make their peace.
Over in Japan, trials can also last decades
thanks to the legal system.
But prisoners here aren't often given the luxury
of a death date.
So little warning is given, some inmates are only informed
of their execution on the day it happens.
This makes the story of the world's longest surviving
death row inmate, Iwao Hakamada, even more amazing
as he survived on death row for more than 48 years.
Fortunately, he was acquitted after it was discovered
police had falsified evidence against him.
That's a long time not knowing
if today will be your last for a crime you didn't commit.
However, when it comes to waiting,
few countries are as scarily efficient as China.
The country itself is very private
regarding its death row process.
Even so, an in-depth study based on scraps of information
leaked from the country has led experts to believe
that the average time between sentencing and punishment
is a harrowingly short 50 days.
That's less than two months.
It sounds impossibly quick,
but considering China is the world's leading executioner
with thousands of citizens estimated
to meet this fate every year, it would certainly make sense.
In comparison, just 17 capital sentences were carried out
across the U.S. in 2020.
But in Belarus, the time an inmate has to make peace
with the final ruling is even quicker.
It's reported that the convict in question is informed
that all their appeals have either failed or been denied
just two minutes before the sentence is carried out.
I'm not sure which would be worse: waiting for days
or given a few minutes to come to terms with it all.
What do you think?
Let me know down in the comments.
(calm music) (fingers tapping)
(image whooshing)
Last meals.
If you knew the next meal you ate would be your last,
what would you go for?
I'd choose a big juicy steak with all the trimmings
and a huge chocolate brownie for dessert.
Man, that sounds good.
But for a lot of prisoners on death row,
the last meal they eat isn't always something
they have a choice in.
In the U.S., last meals are often served to inmates
a few days before their date with destiny.
Most can order anything they want.
Well, almost anything.
Prisons can deny requests for alcohol or tobacco products,
and others can limit the requests to items
that can only be obtained from within the prison system.
That can mean no fast food,
no local gourmet restaurant delivery,
and even no home-cooked meal from their family.
Many states also have a cost limit
on the last meals of their prisoners.
In Florida, the meal can cost up to $40,
but in Oklahoma it can only cost up to $15.
Sounds kinda stingy, but it's better than being in Texas.
Currently, prisoners aren't even allowed
to pick their last meal.
They used to be able to, but back in 2011,
death row inmate Lawrence Brewer
ordered a huge banquet of food for his last meal
and then refused to eat it once it arrived.
So, Texas changed its policy,
and now none of Texas' death row inmates get a say
in what they're served.
But many states have been pretty lenient in the past,
allowing inmates to order whatever they want.
Before Illinois inmate John Wayne Gacy
received his capital punishment back in 1994,
he was able to order a bucket of KFC, fries,
12 fried shrimp, a pound of fresh strawberries, and a coke.
On the other end of the spectrum, back in 1963,
Iowa inmate Victor Feguer ordered a single olive
with the stone still in it.
He hoped the stone would sprout into a tree on his grave
as a symbol of peace.
But for all his good intentions, that never happened.
One of the stranger requests a Texas prison received
before the ban on last meals came from James Edward Smith
back in 1990 who requested a plate of dirt.
Not just any old dirt, rhaeakunda dirt,
earth taken from someone's grave.
It's often associated with voodoo rituals,
and James believed that by eating it
he wouldn't become a ghost.
Suffice to say, this was a little too macabre
for the wardens to fulfill.
He got a yogurt instead.
Now, last meals aren't guaranteed all over the world.
In Indonesia, last meal requests on death row
generally aren't taken.
However, back in 2015, members of the Bali 9 smuggling gang
were allowed to order pizza and KFC
in the days leading up to their date with fate.
Here, food can also be provided by family members
and split between prisoners, if they feel like sharing.
Over in Malaysia, last meals are often made
from a fixed variety of food,
including steak, fried chicken, plain rice, vegetables,
salad, milk, orange juice and water.
Although, some inmates who declined last meals in the past
were sometimes given a simple KFC dinner instead.
Hang on, what's the deal with KFC
being a last meal of choice for so many people?
I guess it's tasty, cheap, and easy to get a hold of.
Well, at least they're able to tick that meal
off their KFC bucket list.
In Taiwan, the rules around alcohol on death row
are a little laxer.
A final meal of the prisoner's choice,
such as traditional bento,
is served with a bottle of Kaoliang liquor.
It's a very strong sorghum-based drink
which is popular across China and Taiwan.
I'm sure having the whole bottle to yourself
would take the edge off even the most nervous inmate.
What about somewhere a bit bigger, like India?
While there's no last meal ritual stipulated in the law,
prison authorities reportedly do make exceptions
for inmates in their final hours.
In 2012, prisoner Ajmal Kasab
apparently requested a couple of tomatoes.
The guards generously offered him an entire basketful,
but he only took two, and of them he only munched on one.
Knowing all that, where would you want your last meal to be?
Let me know down below.
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The exceptions.
While some crimes might lawfully warrant capital punishment,
special circumstances can see a criminal get away
with a slightly lighter sentence.
In the U.S., intellectual disability
is a pretty important factor.
Up till 2014, it was considered unconstitutional
to issue someone with an IQ of 70 or under
with a capital punishment.
But when inmate Freddie Lee Hall was found
to have an IQ score of 71,
a mere margin of error,
the state of Florida still slapped him
with a death sentence.
The unfairness was eventually overruled,
but the strict 70-point cutoff is still currently employed
as part of a more rigid framework
by states like Kentucky and Alabama.
In Nigeria, there's nothing in the rules
about excusing those with intellectual disability,
but they do draw the line at sentencing pregnant women.
At least, they don't fulfill the sentence
while they're pregnant,
though it can still go ahead after the birth of the child.
It sounds grim, but this rule applies
to almost all countries where the death penalty is legal,
including Japan and the U.S.
Oh mama.
But in Vietnam, pregnant women are totally exempt
from the charge, and instead can be sentenced
to life in prison.
What's more, women nursing a child under three years old
are also exempt, along with people over the age of 75.
There's also a workaround
for officials convicted of corruption
who can spare themselves the death penalty
if they pay back at least 75% of the profits
they illicitly obtained.
That's certainly one way to get people to cough up.
And in the United Arab Emirates,
compensation isn't just an escape route for officials.
As a country that abides by Sharia law,
a convict on death row may be fully pardoned
by the family of the victim.
Usually, this involves an agreed form of payment.
It sounds like a ruling out of the past,
but as recently as June 2021, Becks Krishnan,
an Indian businessman on UAE's death row,
promised to pay the family of his victim
500,000 Emirati dirham, roughly $130,000,
to pardon him for his crimes.
And they say money can't buy you everything.
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The methods.
It might surprise you, but not all modern execution methods
are the same from country to country.
How a prisoner is put to death varies widely
depending on where they are,
and it's not even the same across the U.S.
The U.S. has not one, not two, but five authorized methods
they use to carry out death sentences,
though most meet their end via lethal injection.
Prisoners are led to an isolated room
and restrained on a table.
Then they're injected
with up to three different pharmaceutical drugs.
The first sedates the prisoner, the second paralyzes them,
and the final one stops their heart.
However, in eight states,
including Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee,
electrocution is also currently used.
That's right, the good old electric chair.
And disturbingly, it's the primary method
used in South Carolina, ugh.
More antiquated methods, like lethal gas,
are allowed in three states, hanging in two states,
and firing squads in four.
And incredibly, in most states prisoners can actually choose
how they'd like to go.
That's a decision I hope none of us ever have to make.
Over in Japan and South Korea though,
there's only one option.
The primary method used in both these countries
is (gulps) hanging.
In Japan, prisoners are led into a sterile chamber
with a large red box marked on the floor.
A blindfold and black hood are placed over their head
along with a noose, their hands and legs are bound
to prevent them from flailing, and they stand in the box.
Then, out of view, up to five guards
hit a set of five buttons simultaneously
which activates the trap door, the red box.
Why five buttons when it only requires one to open?
Well, this makes it unclear which guard is responsible,
allowing them to keep their conscience clear.
In China, one of two methods are used:
lethal injection or a single gunshot.
But unlike the U.S. and Japan,
which have dedicated chambers,
not all condemned Chinese prisoners are so lucky.
Disguised as a regular police van,
China's mobile execution units can load the condemned
into the back and carry out lethal injections on the road.
Apparently, this is all for the sake of efficiency.
Ugh, that is one police van
you do not wanna get pulled over by.
Over in Taiwan though, it's a very different affair.
Following the last meal, the prisoner is taken to a chamber,
anesthetized, and laid on the ground face down.
The act is carried out with a single gunshot,
and that's when it starts to get weird.
It's customary for the executioner to burn votive money,
a type of fake currency,
as an offering to the deceased in the afterlife.
It's also customary for the inmate to tuck a little money
into their leg irons as, get this,
a tip for their executioner for doing a good job.
I'd really hate to see what sort of service
a bad tip would get you.
Well, now I've compared death row, prisons,
and schools around the world,
and I don't know which was more eye opening.
If you haven't checked out the other videos in this series,
I'll leave the links down below.
And if you've got a suggestion for another comparison video,
let me know in the comments.
Thanks for watching.
(upbeat music)