Dead Man Walking: Dan Walker On Death Row | Preview (5)

As the debate about capital punishment stirs in the UK once again, in the light of recent convictions such as Axel Rudakubana for the Southport murders, Dan Walker embarks on a hard-hitting investigation to uncover the truth about capital punishment in the US.

In this feature-length documentary, he explores the reality of life on death row and secures the access to see exactly what is involved in carrying out a state sanctioned execution.

Reflecting on his investigation into the US system, he asks could or should we ever consider reinstating the death penalty in the UK, over 60 years after it was abolished. In this deep and revealing journey in the US he finds a system that is disturbing, shocking and as complex as ever.

Dan travels to Huntsville, Texas – the execution capital of the world, home to the most active and prolific death chamber in the United States. It has seen nearly 600 executions since 1982, and houses some of the most dangerous inmates in the country.

He meets a prisoner face to face, awaiting his fate on death row for over 20 years - convicted of double murder in the brutal killing of his ex-girlfriend and her new partner. Then he finds the son of the victim, who is seeking justice for the crime and believes death is the only appropriate punishment.

He also meets the spiritual advisor of a man convicted of killing a pastor at a church - who is just days from being executed - and witnesses the final conversations between them.

We meet the prison guards who have been tasked with carrying out dozens of executions and those who have witnessed hundreds of people put to death. Dan asks; What’s the truth about the famed ‘last meal’? What is said to the inmate as they enter the chamber itself? And what happens in the 24 hours leading up to execution?

Dan gains access to a death row execution chamber - he enters the small, dimly lit room containing the gurney where inmates are strapped down, and the room where witnesses observe the final moments – from the inmate’s arrival, to the administering of the sedative and then the lethal chemicals which will end their life.

He reflects on how we might feel about such final justice in the UK. And raises the difficult questions about what might happen if the perpetrator is later found to be innocent.

Dan then meets a man who dodged the execution room, spending almost 30 years on death row only to be eventually acquitted of the crime and released. Decades spent waiting to die, all the while knowing he was wrongfully imprisoned. Having been released less than a year ago, how is he adapting back into society after all that time behind bars?

The UK remains starkly divided on the contentious issue of capital punishment. Our last execution was over 60 years ago- but the debate around its reinstatement has never truly faded. Recent cases such as the Southport murders have put the subject firmly back on the agenda and recent polls suggest many are in favour.

Having explored the reality from behind closed doors, Dan Walker asks - will the UK ever follow America’s example in using the ultimate punishment?

Dead Man Walking: Dan Walker on Death Row airs Wednesday 7th May on 5.