DOC Shows Upgrades To New Death Chamber

The Department of Corrections gave News On 6 unprecedented access into Oklahoma's new death chamber. The state let our cameras inside to see the changes it's made since Clayton Lockett's execution went wrong in April.

Lockett thrashed and mumbled for 40 minutes before he died six months ago. Since then the state has spent more than $106,000 on changing the way it executes prisoners. The construction cost more than $71,600. Medical updates, such as supplies and new technology totaled just over $34,000.

It took the DOC about three months to renovate the execution chamber, operations room and witness areas.

“Basically this is the execution chamber,” DOC Field Operations Administrator, Scott Crow said.

That's the room where just months ago Clayton Lockett died.

His execution didn't go as planned because it took more than 40 minutes for the drugs to work - some called it botched - others said it did the job; but either way, Lockett's death spurred major changes in Oklahoma executions.

9/4/2014 Related Story: DPS Report On Clayton Lockett Execution Finds Problems With Process

“Director Patton actually mandated that we study the different areas to look at the deficiencies,” said Crow.

The money spent on the renovations essentially brings the execution process to the 21st century.

Crow said the previous execution table was from the 1950s.

“That was fragile at best, it was experiencing some mechanical problems,” Crow said. "It actually had a manual hydraulic pump-type system and that was the part that was pretty fragile."

The new, $12,000 execution table is the most expensive upgrade. It's electric and can be raised up or lowered depending on the need.

"This bed, also, is on a battery backup system whereas if the power to this area were to fail, the bed would continue to operate," said Crow.

The state mounted two cameras in the death chamber, which will feed live video into the operations room next door.

“These are direct-view/live view cameras only, there is no recording,” said Crow.

The operations room is where the lethal injection drugs are kept and administered. The state tore out a wall to expand the room more than three feet.

It also also added a two-way mirror so doctors and nurses can see into the chamber, whereas before the team was blind to everything happening in the execution room.

There are three phones in the operations room, one for the Governor's office and the other two for internal or external extensions. The DOC Director will now view executions from the operations area, rather than the witness room.

There are two new microphones in the chamber. One is hanging from the ceiling to pick up anything the inmate says for witnesses to hear, the other is a lapel mic, which will be clipped to the prisoner, for those in the operations room to hear.

"We enhanced the communication between this room and that room, which was a part of mandate or the recommendations in the investigation," said Crow. “With this process, we've actually done away with the previous process of utilizing pencils.”

With Lockett's execution, the doctor had a hard time finding a viable vein and the drugs ended up in his tissue rather than his blood stream. Now they have a new high-tech piece of equipment that helps locate veins.

When asked which upgrade was most critical, Crow couldn't single out one specific change.

"We actually see the overall process or renovation as very important. There's different things about different areas that are important to us," said Crow.

Noticeable renovations were also made to the viewing room. It's now lined with 19 new chairs, six fewer than before. The speaker system has been replaced, there's new lighting and carpet, the ceiling has been lowered and the two windows into the death chamber are smaller.

A wall with two new, better-quality mirrored windows separate victim witnesses from media witnesses and other dignitaries.

The victim witness room was expanded to give more leg room, although it's still a tight fit.

Members of the media are not allowed to wear watches or carry a phone when viewing an execution. The state removed the one and only clock visible to witnesses.

Charles Warner will be the first inmate put to death under the state's new guidelines and in the renovated chamber. He was supposed to be executed the same day as Lockett, but was granted a stay when problems arose. Warner's new execution date is set for November 13.