Gerrard Kaonga
A relatively new pilot scheme has seen inmates on death row granted more privileges than they’ve had in the past.
In America, 27 states have the death penalty, and among them, serving this sentence in Texas is considered one of the ‘harshest’.
However, a new scheme for these inmates has so far proven to be a success and made the experience for those on death row a little more bearable.
The scheme was launched under former warden Daniel Dickerson who has explained his reasoning.
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Day to day life for a select few of those banged up in the Allan B. Polunsky Unit in West Livingston is now looking very different thanks to the program.
Originally, death row was elsewhere in the Huntsville Unit, but after a death row escape in 1998, prison officials decided to change it over to in Livingston in 1999.
The program sees criminals get ‘recreational time’ for limited times during the day, a luxury they were not previously afforded.
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Dickerson argued that giving basic privileges to inmates that have been well behaved could improve conditions for inmates and staff alike.
He said: “It's definitely helped give them something to look forward to. All it takes is one bad event, and that could shut it down for a long time. And they understand that because they've been behind those doors for so long - they know what they have to lose probably more than anybody else."
The recreational time allows selected prisoner several hours a day out of their cell whereas previously they may have spent as much as 22 hours a day in their single box rooms.
Their time out of the cell allows those selected to enjoy communal meals, TV time, prayer circles and direct human contact, a first for many that have been on death row for years.
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Rodolfo 'Rudy' Alvarez Medrano was one of the men who was selected for the scheme and he said it had given him ‘hope’
Speaking to the Houston Chronicle, Medrano also reflected on the awkwardness of not knowing what to do with his hands, as he was allowed out of his cell for the first time in almost two decades without handcuffs.
The program has been running for 18 months so far and has proven to be a success, according to officials.
They have said there have been no fights, drug seizures or serious incidents requiring disciplinary action.
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In addition to this, some of the inmates have said they have seen an improvement in their friends’ mental health.
Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesperson Amanda Hernandez has insisted this ultimately translates into a plus for those who are working at the prisons.
She said: “Would you rather work with people who are treating you with respect, or who are yelling and screaming at you every time you walk in? It's a no-brainer.”