How do courts let cruel and unusual punishments persist? By ignoring the cruelty

By: Brian Lyman

Outlets: Alabama Reflector

Published: June 15, 2026

Words: 885

Last Updated: 1 month, 1 week ago

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Nitrogen gas executions are cruel.

That’s been clear since January 2024, when Corrections officials strapped a mask over Kenneth Eugene Smith and suffocated him to death. Smith convulsed and struggled for breath over the course of many minutes.

Did this lead to any reflection about what happened in Holman prison? No. The Alabama attorney general congratulated the state on a “textbook” execution. Alabama did it six more times, ignoring the mounting

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