It is the last hour before a prisoner’s execution. There is no hope, no way out, and nothing but silence as the seconds tick by. But what actually happens in those last 60 minutes?

Until the prisoner is transported to the execution room they are left in solitary confinement, completely alone with their thoughts. You may think this would be a time of anxiety and fear, but for most, that is far from the truth.

Many inmates in their final hour before execution are reported to turn to god, or whatever deity they worship. When the guards come to collect the prisoner, they can be found on their knees, whispering a final prayer before meeting their maker.

As the procession of guards surrounding the prisoner escorts them to the execution room, everything is silent. They reach their destination where a priest or imam is waiting for them to read the prisoner their last rites.

The inmate is also permitted a last statement. And it is in these words that we glean the final thoughts of the person being executed. Surprisingly, the most common word said in last statements over the past ten years is “love.” Which is both astonishing and heartbreaking at the same time.

It is just moments before death when the prisoner sees the execution witness of their choice from behind the viewing glass. This is normally a loved one. The prisoner gets one last glimpse of that special person before they are strapped down by the guards, and executed by lethal injection.

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