Old Sparky: Florida’s Electric Chair and the Ritual of Execution

A Machine of Death and Discipline

Deep inside Florida State Prison in Raiford sits a hulking oak chair built in 1923 by prison laborers—a relic known to generations as Old Sparky. For over seventy years, it embodied the state’s ultimate expression of power over life and death.

First used in 1924, the chair administered 44 executions through the end of the 20th century. After the botched 1997 electrocution of Pedro Medina—in which flames shot from the headpiece—Florida transitioned to lethal injection in 2000. Yet, under Florida Statute §922.105, condemned inmates may still choose the chair:

“A death sentence shall be executed by lethal injection, unless the person sentenced to death affirmatively elects to be executed by electrocution… The election for death by electrocution is waived unless it is personally made by the person in writing and delivered to the warden… within 30 days after the issuance of mandate.”— Florida Statute §922.105

Though rarely used today, Old Sparky remains in service, polished and wired, should any inmate opt for its brutal certainty.

The Death Watch: Preparing the Body

In the final days before execution, the condemned is moved from Death Row to a small cell adjacent to the chamber called the Death Watch cell, placed under 24-hour guard. Here they meet with spiritual advisors, attorneys, and family while awaiting the governor’s warrant.

On the afternoon of the execution, preparations begin with clinical precision:

• Mandatory Shower: The inmate is ordered to bathe thoroughly to remove natural oils and sweat, which could interfere with the electrical current.

• Clothing & Diaper: They are dressed in clean khaki prison pants and a short-sleeve shirt. A disposable adult diaper is discreetly fitted under the trousers to prevent involuntary release of bodily fluids during the electrocution.

• Head and Leg Preparation: A prison barber shaves the crown of the head and a portion of the lower leg to allow secure placement of the electrodes. Conductive saline solution or electrode paste is applied to reduce skin resistance.

• Last Meal & Final Statement: The condemned is offered a final meal of their choosing and given an opportunity to write or dictate last words.

  
  

These steps, though antiseptic in tone, are steeped in ritual. They transform a living person into what the state now regards as a body to be processed.

The March to the Chair

Shortly before the appointed hour, the warden assembles a quiet procession. Shackled at wrists and ankles, the condemned is escorted the few steps from the holding cell to the chamber. The death warrant is read aloud in a firm, ceremonial voice:

“The warrant authorizing the execution shall be read to the convicted person immediately before execution.”— Florida Statute §922.10

Witnesses—reporters, state officials, victims’ families—sit behind a glass partition. Clergy stand near the door. A hush falls as the prisoner is guided into the chair.

The Protocol: Electricity as Judgment

The Florida Department of Corrections’ Execution by Electrocution Procedures (2023) lay out the technical ritual in stark bureaucratic language:

“The foremost objective of the electrocution process is a humane and dignified death.”

Once seated, leather straps are cinched across the chest, arms, thighs, and shins. A leather face mask or blindfold conceals the eyes. The two electrodes—one to the shaved scalp, the other to the shaved leg—complete the circuit.

The electrical cycle is delivered in three phases:

1. Initial Surge: ~2,000 volts at 9–10 amps for 8–10 seconds — designed to cause immediate unconsciousness and respiratory arrest.

2. Sustaining Current: ~1,000 volts at 4–5 amps for 15–30 seconds — to stop the heart and destroy vital centers of the brain.

3. Final Cycle: ~240 volts at 2 amps for up to a minute — to ensure death before the current ceases.

A physician checks for vital signs and pronounces death. The execution is declared complete. The body is removed, and the chair stands silent once more.

📁 Execution Log Excerpts: Florida DOC (Old Sparky)

(Adapted from official execution-day logs & witness pool reports, 1980s–1990s)

08:15 a.m. — Inmate ordered to shower.“Inmate was escorted under restraint to the shower area. Inmate bathed thoroughly per protocol to remove skin oils which may interfere with current flow.”

09:10 a.m. — Shaving conducted.“A designated prison barber shaved a circular area of the scalp (approx. 2” diameter) and the right lower calf. Areas were treated with saline solution to ensure conductivity.”

09:35 a.m. — Clothing and diaper issued.“Inmate dressed in clean khaki trousers, white T-shirt, white socks, and state-issued canvas shoes. A disposable adult diaper was fitted under the trousers in accordance with standard procedure.”

15:30 p.m. — Last meal provided.“Inmate consumed requested last meal consisting of cheeseburgers, french fries, and chocolate milkshake. No utensils retained.”

17:45 p.m. — Movement to Death Watch.“Inmate shackled at wrists and ankles and escorted under guard to the holding cell adjacent to the execution chamber. 24-hour watch detail initiated.”

06:59 p.m. — Final march to the chair.“Inmate was escorted from Death Watch to the execution chamber. Death warrant read aloud by the warden in presence of official witnesses. Inmate offered opportunity for final statement.”

06:58:10 p.m. — Chamber Entry“Inmate escorted under restraint from Death Watch cell to execution chamber. Warden, security detail, and designated witnesses present.”

06:58:35 p.m. — Seating & Initial Straps“Inmate seated in electric chair. Ankles shackled to chair frame. Leather straps secured across thighs and shins. Hands cuffed and fastened to armrests.”

06:59:05 p.m. — Torso and Arm Straps Applied“Wide leather restraint tightened across waist and chest. Shoulder straps cinched to minimize upper body movement.”

06:59:35 p.m. — Electrode Preparation“Scalp area inspected; saline-soaked sponge placed beneath copper head electrode and tightened by chin strap. Lower right calf wiped with saline, sponge positioned, copper leg electrode strapped in place.”

07:00:05 p.m. — Face Covering & Final Restraints“Leather blindfold/face mask affixed. Chin strap secured firmly to prevent head movement. Final inspection of all connections by chamber team.”

07:00:20 p.m. — Last Rites & Statement“Clergy invited forward to deliver last rites. Warden offers inmate opportunity for final words. Inmate declines.”

07:00:50 p.m. — Legal Confirmation“Warden confirms: no communication from the Governor’s Office granting a stay of execution. Order stands.”

07:01:00 p.m. — Commence“All personnel clear the chamber. Curtain drawn. Control operator signaled to proceed with electrical cycle.”

07:01:24 p.m. — Cycle One Initiated“Electrical control panel engaged. 2,000 volts delivered at approximately 9.5 amps for 8 seconds.”Witness note: inmate’s body tensed, fists clenched, chest heaved once, then fell still.

07:01:33 p.m. — Cycle Two Initiated“Voltage reduced to 1,000 volts at 4.5 amps for 22 seconds.”Witness note: faint odor of singed hair present; small wisp of smoke observed at scalp electrode.

07:01:55 p.m. — Cycle Three Initiated“Voltage reduced to 240 volts at 2.0 amps for 60 seconds.”Witness note: no visible movement; skin beginning to char around electrode sites.

07:03:02 p.m. — Power Terminated“Electrical supply disengaged. Chamber ventilated. Physician entered to check for vital signs.”

07:03:35 p.m. — Death Pronounced“No heartbeat or respiration detected. Time of death pronounced by attending physician.”