Former Conservative MP Michael Portillo pushes his body to the brink of death in an investigation into the science of execution.
As the American Supreme Court examines whether the lethal injection is causing prisoners to die in unnecessary pain, Michael sets out to find a solution which is fundamentally humane.
Armed with startling new evidence, Michael considers a completely new approach.
Will it be the answer? There is only one way to find out – to experience it himself.
Watched this documentary when it first aired. Michael Portillo presented the programme with a suitable sense of gravitas and exposed the cruelty of some methods of execution. The use on nitrogen hypoxia was a revelation, that the person or creature being suffocated actually wasn’t frightened by the experience, actually welcomed it. The frightening bit was with some of the interviewees equating pain with justice. Whereas I understand this, such sentiments have historically resulted in desensitisation and dehumanisation leading to atrocities. Apart from very limited circumstances I am not for the death penalty but for it to be used there must be robust checks and balances. Arguably more cruel than the death penalty is seeing convicts spending and suffering years in limbo on death row while the lawyers get paid arguing the toss.
Documentary from 2009
I WANT TO KILL SOMEONE
Are you retarded?
yes
killing someone is killing someone what ever happened to trying to rehabilitating criminals and not just sending them off to jail for life or out right murdering them. I strongly believe in forgiveness and figuring out how to fix broken people because in most cases that is what criminals are.
i want to know the psycology of human when enemy is in front
An interesting documentary. Don’t really know how I feel on the death penalty issue. Seems like an easy way out really. I think being behind bars for the rest of your life with nothing or very little seems a lot worse.
Killing someone is giving them the easy way out. I guess this comes from the whole “The evil will go to hell” nonsense. But surely making them live for as long as they naturally would with no medical care, and having to earn their keep in a prison-factory — which should exist, none of this Xbox for prisoners bullshit.
That guy at the 47 mark is so stupid. The European guy is the one in the right. Its funny how they will stoop to the levels of the criminals. A state is an entity of a collection of people not a single person enacting revenge. However his choice is rooted in religions eye for an eye. That’s why the show showed that sign that said “church”. The europeans know their shit!!!
I love how all of you peace lovers are making comments about the death penalty, but at the same time you will all no doubt support abortion. You sick animals.
I am sorry but who cares, yes they are someones child maybe a father or a mother. But really who cares. It does not make sense to waste anything people say its cruel to shoot some one in the head for some reason yet no pain. Instead of that option people are made to spend man hours in new ways to kill people chemicals and everything else to do something we already have thousands of ways for already. This is a waste to the people working paying taxes supporting ridiculous fantasies that a bloodless method of death is more humane. Why not put a 35 cent bullet in their head, call it a day. Except do it faster so we don’t spend thousands of dollars feeding and guarding these people who made their own choices. Stop soothing your ego. Its expensive.
I’m not American, so it may be fake and presumptious of me to voice an opinion, but I applaud Mr. Portillo’s quest. Humans should not apply, nor undergo, cruel and unusual punishments.
Say what you just said again, when a criminal come in your house, rape your wife and daghter in front of your son and then kill all three of them in front of you, ofcourse you were lucky because the polise just arrived to arrest him.
Now say what you just wrote to the judge…
And yes..for me justice is revenge..I would never kill anyone…I would make him safer the same way that his victims safered, not once, but 10 times more..But never take his life. I will leave this to God.
You’ll leave death to God, but you will take it upon yourself to make someone suffer horribly. That’s not very Christlike of you, now is it? Revenge isn’t something that Jesus preached.
I’m not American, so it may be fake and presumptious of me to voice an opinion, but I applaud Mr. Portillo’s quest. Humans should not apply, nor undergo, cruel and unusual punishments.
The guy at the end wants vengence, not justice. I’m pro death penalty, and I think (based on this show) that nitrogen is a fine way for a guilty party of a crim to die in the event that the judicial system finds it appropriate. I’m also down with hanging, firing squad, lethal injection, electrocution, progressive digit mutilation causing death by bleeding, beating in the head with hammers, etc. Guilty people should die. I don’t care HOW its done. Nitrogen is fine. Turn on the gas and give me my popcorn. I don’t want to miss the show.
Guilty people should safer my friend..not die….they need to be tortured to near death, let them recover and start all over again. This is justice. This is punishment. You do not panish someone by killing him. With punishment you want someone to regret of what he has done..If you kill him you do not give him the chance to regret anything. Leave this for god.
The only problem with “punishment” is that nobody will ever want to work full or part time on torturing other people..only the victims relatives or friends..
there is killing someone who is guilty, which i support, then there is just plain psychopathy. (which i believe you may suffer from) Beating someone with a hammer until they die? Are you serious? Anyone in favor of that process should be the one to test the theory of how incredibly vile and sickening that is.
“I’m pro death penalty”
What a nasty & evil person you are.
At some point you will have to answer.
It definitely works.
Before some time I got bored in my lab during hot day and I set up the
stream of pure nitrogen from pressure flask against my face. I supposed
to enjoy the cold stream of gas like the stream of air from the fan,
but instead of it I suddenly woke up with my nose broken at the desk…
If I would keep some beaker or another laboratory glass on the table,
it would end in my eye without problem..
I’ve to admit, I didn’t fell absolutely anything – I even didn’t realized, when I did lost consciousness momentarily.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N082tXCac08&feature=related
With compare to it, the stunning with carbon dioxide is far from
such a comfort, because carbon dioxide promoted breathing, not
inhibiting it.
It definitely works.
Before some time I got bored in my lab during hot day and I set up the
stream of pure nitrogen from pressure flask against my face. I supposed
to enjoy the cold stream of gas like the stream of air from the fan,
but instead of it I suddenly woke up with my nose broken at the desk…
If I would keep some beaker or another laboratory glass on the table,
it would end in my eye without problem..
I’ve to admit, I didn’t fell absolutely anything – I even didn’t realized, when I did lost consciousness momentarily.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N082tXCac08&feature=related
With compare to it, the stunning with carbon dioxide is far from
such a comfort, because carbon dioxide promoted breathing, not
inhibiting it.
Re. you post … Do you get off on animal snuff videos? You are a sick tosser who will suffer the consequences some time.
I can’t stand people who get confused between justice and revenge. If you are to inhumanly murder someone who inhumanly murdered someone else what makes you any better than them?
I was on the fence about state execution up until the 47 minute mark where the pro death guy talked. What a psychopath.
I bet you have not faced a “real” criminal yet. It is his job, that is why he speaks like that. What did you expect to hear from his mouth? OH the pure criminals ohh they are in a litle pain..oh..
I think that the best way for the worts criminals to be punished is by cruzifiction
“For as long as the state is going to kill people, I think it has the obligation to do it in the way that least resembles murder”
Yes, like a pig, evidently. How very civilized.
Not that the state has any compunction in regards to murdering people. Why we have massive murder exercises nearly constantly. We call them wars, and we are not in the least concerned about sparing pain in the process.