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U.S. | 'I comfort death row inmates in their final moments - the execution room is like a house of horrors'

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Reverend Jeff Hood, 40, wants to help condemned inmates 'feel human again' and vows to continue his efforts to befriend murderers in spite of death threats against his family A reverend who has made it his mission to comfort death row inmates in their final days has revealed the '"moral torture" his endeavor entails. Reverend Dr. Jeff Hood, 40, lives with his wife and five children in Little Rock, Arkansas. But away from his normal home life, he can suddenly find himself holding the shoulder of a murderer inside an execution chamber, moments away from the end of their life. 

Missouri: Action sought against execution anesthesiologist

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ST. LOUIS (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union is asking a medical board to suspend certification for an anesthesiologist expected to participate in upcoming executions in Missouri.

Earlier this month the Missouri Supreme Court set execution dates for two convicted killers, the first on Oct. 23. The executions will be the first since Missouri switched from a three-drug method to a single-drug protocol.

Missouri will also become the first state to use the anesthetic propofol, raising concerns among some death penalty opponents who say the unproven drug could cause pain and suffering for the inmate.

The ACLU cites says court documents showing that the state plans to use an anesthesiologist identified only as "M3." The ACLU wrote to the American Board of Anesthesiology on Thursday seeking suspension of his or her certification.

Source: AP, August 30, 2013
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U.S. | 'I comfort death row inmates in their final moments - the execution room is like a house of horrors'

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Reverend Jeff Hood, 40, wants to help condemned inmates 'feel human again' and vows to continue his efforts to befriend murderers in spite of death threats against his family A reverend who has made it his mission to comfort death row inmates in their final days has revealed the '"moral torture" his endeavor entails. Reverend Dr. Jeff Hood, 40, lives with his wife and five children in Little Rock, Arkansas. But away from his normal home life, he can suddenly find himself holding the shoulder of a murderer inside an execution chamber, moments away from the end of their life. 
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