WEST LIVINGSTON, TX—Saying it was inhumane to deny them the privilege over such an extended period, Gary Hunter, warden at Texas’ Allan B. Polunsky Unit death row facility, announced Wednesday that inmates would now be allowed to receive visitors once a week while receiving capital punishment. “Because the duration varies from person to person, we felt it was only fair to grant inmates 45 minutes per week during which family members and friends can spend time with them in the execution chamber,” Hunter said, adding that guests would be allowed to sit with the person being executed for up to an hour, with a maximum of two for special events like birthdays and holidays. “In the later stages of the execution, inmates will also have access to 15 minutes of phone time per day. And since it’s cruel to simply confine inmates to the execution room month after month, we’re planning to eventually incorporate a daily free exercise period.” Hunter went on to say that while the executioner tries to find a vein, inmates would be encouraged to participate in one of the prison’s vocational work programs.

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