Life on Death Row

Tim Jones awaits an execution that may take years to come about.

The father of 5 who killed his children in their Red Bank home is scheduled to be executed Nov. 30, 2019.

His death sentence was automatically appealed under SC law.

Based on other appeals, it could be a decade or more before his appeals are exhausted and a final execution order is signed.

According to the SC Department of Corrections:

• Death Row inmates were housed at Central Correctional Institution in Columbia from 1912 to January 1990, Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia from then until April 12, 1997 and Lieber Correctional Institution in Ridgeland, from April 12, 1997 to Sept. 24, 2017.

Now Death Row is at Kirkland Correctional Institution in Columbia.

Capital Punishment

The first Death House was built in 1912 at the Central Correctional Institution.

In 1988 a new Capital Punishment Facility was constructed at Broad River Correctional Institution. This new facility was built to replace the old Death House at CCI as the institution was slated for closure.

Since 1990, all executions have been carried out at the Broad River Capital Punishment Facility.

Execution Witnesses

By state law, witnesses to executions are chosen by these guidelines:

• A minister of the gospel, the counsel for the inmate, the chief law enforcement officer (or designee) and the solicitor (or assistant solicitor) for the county where the offense occurred.

• 3 media witnesses, 1 print, 1 broadcast, and 1 from the dominant wire service (Associated Press).

• The family of the victim is allowed 3 witnesses.

If there is more than 1 victim, the corrections’ director may reduce the number to 1 representative per victim families.

If there are more than 2 victims, the director may restrict the number of victims’ representatives to the space limits of the Capital Punishment Facility.

Lethal Injection

On June 8, 1995, a new law provided the option of lethal injection. SC was the 25th state to authorize lethal injection.

To use the controlled substances, the Department of Corrections had to be licensed by the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Health and Environmental Control and the Board of Pharmacy.

Chemicals necessary to carry out lethal injection are handled, stored and disposed of in accordance with a strict protocol.

The number of individuals who have access to the chemicals is limited. This protocol had to be approved by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The Electric Chair

An electric chair’s use in SC began in August, 1912.

The chair is located in the death chamber of the Capital Punishment Facility. This is the same area that is used for lethal injection.

An inmate convicted of a capital crime can elect to be executed either by lethal injection or electrocution.

This election must be made in writing 14 days before the execution date.

If the inmate waives the right of election and the crime was committed on or after June 8, 1995, it must be administered by lethal injection.

An inmate convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death by electrocution before June 8, 1995, must be electrocuted unless he elects death by lethal injection in writing 14 days before the execution.

If execution by lethal injection is held to be unconstitutional by an appellate court, the manner of inflicting a death sentence must be by electrocution.

Executions in SC

Since August 6, 1912, there have been 282 executions carried out by the State of South Carolina.

Before this, executions were by hanging in the individual counties.

Of the 282, 74 were white and 208 were black, 280 men and 2 women.

The youngest was a 14-year-old black male.

The oldest was a 66-year-old black man.

In 1988, the new Capital Punishment Facility in the Broad River Correctional Institution replaced the old Death House which was at the now closed Central Correctional Institution.

The 1st execution in South Carolina by lethal injection was carried out on August 18, 1995. The last in SC in the electric chair was in 2008 and by lethal injection in 2011.