- [Narrator] Death row
is the part of a prison that houses inmates awaiting the sentence of capital punishment for
some seriously heinous crimes. While capital punishment is an intensely controversial issue, it's still famously legal
across the United States. But the U.S. isn't the
only country in the world with a death row. From the crimes that can land you there, to the last meal you're given, it all varies wildly depending
on where you're condemned. So, let's take a look at some of the most shocking differences in death rows around the world. Oh boy, this one is gonna
be an eye opener for sure. (upbeat music) The countries. As of January 2021, 109
countries have abolished capital punishment entirely. These include all
European Union countries, plus the UK, Australia, Canada, Mongolia, Argentina, Mexico, The
Philippines, and many more. Now, a further 28 countries are classed as abolitionist in practice, meaning they uphold
capital punishment in law, but haven't officially
carried a sentence out in more than 10 years. These include the Russian
Federation, Myanmar, Morocco, Algeria, Kenya, and, most
surprisingly, South Korea, a country more famous
for its K-pop and K-Drama than its K-apital punishment. Makes you wonder if "Squid
Game" was more of a documentary. Just eight reserve the
penalty for serious offenses, like war crimes, in countries
that have had issues with uprisings against leading
regimes in the recent past. For that, look to Brazil,
Kazakhstan, Guatemala, and several others. But then there's the shockingly high 55 retentionist countries, the ones where the penalty is
fully upheld within the law. If shocking news headlines
are anything to go by, you're probably thinking
that, alongside the U.S., these are mainly countries known for their harsh punishments, like China, Saudi Arabia, and North Korea. But surprisingly, Japan
is also on that list, the only fully democratic
country to do so. Before the keyboard warriors butt in, the U.S. technically classes
as a democratic republic, making Japan's position on the penalty all the more shocking. And, despite appearances, not every European
country is abolitionist. Here's looking at you Belarus. Led by an authoritarian regime, Belarus' government mainly
uses its punishing power to suppress political unrest. However, the use of capital punishment is also a major hurdle
that's prevented the country from becoming part of the European Union. Now, despite what many people think, the death sentence isn't legal
in every state in the U.S. Currently, 24 states allow it, 23 don't, and three have moratoriums in place, meaning prisoners can still
be given the sentence, but the death part is
temporarily pardoned. So, if you're planning on
doing anything criminally dumb in the near future, be sure not to do it
in any of these places if you don't wanna end
up paying with your life. But no matter where you are in the world, it's not a crime to hit those Like and Subscribe buttons down below. All done? Great, because you're not gonna believe some of the stuff we're about to get into. (image whooshing)
(calm music) The crimes. They say, "If you're
prepared to do the crime, "then be prepared to do the time." But some crimes have more
time attached to them, depending on where you are in the world. And in some places, your time
would be well and truly up. Let's start in the U.S. Here, there are 42 capital
offenses you can commit that'll guarantee you a spot on death row. Homicide is the big one, with
other more specific crimes such as, "wilful wrecking of
a train resulting in death," or, "mailing injurious
articles with fatal intent." Others are less obvious though, such as espionage, the practice of spying, or treason, which is
defined as levying war against the government. Because these acts pose a serious threat to national security,
especially in times of war, they're considered crimes
worthy of the death penalty. But not so in other countries. Over in Japan, capital
punishment is only doled out for crimes that meet a very
strict nine-point criteria called the Nagayama Standard. Here, elements of the crime
like the degree of viciousness, the motive, remorsefulness, and sentiments of bereaved family members are weighed against each other. In particular, the number
of victims involved tips the scale heavily. So the sentence is usually only reserved for serial homicides. As such, only 16 of
the 130 death sentences Japanese courts have handed out since 1993 have involved a single victim. That's just 12%. In nearby North Korea, it's a
little bit more, uh, strict. The militaristic rule of the country means crimes against the state are considered the worst of all. So, alongside homicide and treason, comparatively smaller crimes
like counterfeiting, smuggling, and the vaguely titled
offense of grave misdemeanor can all warrant the death penalty. I mean, what does a grave
misdemeanor even entail? Are we talking robbery or swearing? Assault or putting raisins in cookies? Theft or farting in an enclosed space when people are around you? It could be anything. As bad as North Korea's vague laws sound, they're nothing compared to Nigeria's. In 12 predominately Muslim states in the north of the country,
a strict Islamic law called Sharia law operates in the criminal as well as the super religious domain. Because of the strict religious ruling, capital punishment is handed
out for things like adultery, homosexuality, and even blasphemy. Specifically, speaking ill
of Islam's holy figures will land you in hot water. So badmouthing God in the
highly conservative parts of this country can book
you an express ticket to meet the big man himself. But even Nigeria's laws look tame compared to Saudi Arabia's. Sharia law is absolute there, so crimes like blasphemy,
or waging war on god, are also punished in this
country with the death penalty. But they take this stance so seriously that witchcraft can
also land Saudi citizens with a capital sentence. Practicing sorcery, magic,
or anything supernatural is considered a capital offense. Oh, that'd make for one really harrowing "Harry Potter" book, that's for sure. (image whooshing)
(calm music) The conditions. Once the death sentence has
been passed in a court of law, the life of a prisoner
changes dramatically. Having been condemned to
the worst fate imaginable, their world is turned upside
down and placed behind bars. Now usually, in America, prisoners
who are just serving time are kept in general population. Here, most get their own
tiny cells to sleep in, ranging from about 50 to
70 square feet in size, complete with a sanitary
facility and a bed. While they sleep alone, they can still mingle with
other prisoners during the day, take on jobs like canteen
cooking inside the facility, and, depending on the state they're in, can access the outside yard every day. That's about all the
liberties they get though, which sounds incredibly restrictive. Over on death row though, inmates can only dream of such freedoms. According to Florida's Department of Correctional Facilities,
death row inmates are kept in cells just 54 square feet in size. These can include a toilet, but don't always include
washing facilities. To clean themselves, they're
escorted in handcuffs to showers and watched the
entire time by several wardens in case they get any bright ideas. There's no canteen for these
guys, just three square meals served in the cells at 5
a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 4 p.m. And the only cutlery
they're allowed is a spork. They can have snacks, radios,
even small 13-inch TVs to keep the boredom at bay, but there's no AC, no cable
TV or streaming services, and they're rarely allowed to
mingle with other prisoners. They're allowed out of their
cell for up to one hour a day for exercise and visitation rights, but the other 23 they spend
in solitary confinement. However, once their
death warrant is signed, meaning all their appeals have failed, they get moved to a slightly
larger 84 square foot cell. That's about the only
upgrade there is though, as all radios and TVs are
moved outside the cells, and they can only watch or
listen to them through the bars. Over in Texas though, the
restrictions are even more severe. While each cell is
guaranteed to have a window, there's no word on what the view is like. On top of that, TVs are
out of the question, and depending on their custody level, only some inmates may
have access to a radio to help pass the time. But if we rewind to 2016
and head over to Delaware, back when the death penalty
was still legal in the state, regulations were a little laxer. Single cells were roughly
91 square feet in size, but inmates could also be
housed with other prisoners in some maximum-security units. Depending on the restriction
level of the units they were assigned to,
these inmates could even eat in the dining hall with everyone else. Not only that, but they could also enjoy up to 21 hours a week of exercise, shower, and visitation time. It's not exactly what I
would call comfortable, but that's almost luxurious compared to current conditions in Alabama. Here, cells can be as small as just 40 square feet all round. That's barely what
you'd call closet space. There are no windows and no
AC, and with Alabama summers averaging a scorching
90 degrees Fahrenheit, the heat is often unbearable. Some prisoners are issued with a fan, but it doesn't do much, and many resort to
standing in their toilets to try and cool down. But that's just the U.S.A. So how do these conditions
compare to the rest of the world? Well, if we take a trip over to Japan, it's actually not all that different. Like America, death row cells
here are solitary and tiny. But at around 80 square feet, they're bigger than most
of the others we've seen. Although you might notice
that they don't contain a bed. In traditional Japanese
custom, the beds fold out, giving inmates more room
to, uh, repent, I suppose. It also includes a toilet,
bookshelf, and low sink, but to prevent the inmates
from harming themselves, each has been designed with round corners. Even the taps on the sink are
operated by a time-out button so that they can't flood the cells. Like America, inmates
are fed three times a day on a diet that consists pretty rigidly of just rice, soup, and a
small portion of meat or fish. They do not have access to
a commissary or prison shop, so there's no additional food on the menu. On top of that, TVs are
out of the question. And depending on their custody level, only some inmates may
have access to a radio to help pass the time. They're allowed to bathe
just three times a week during the hot summer months, and only two during the winter. The only reprieve they do get is a 30-minute stint of exercise
in a fenced yard every day. This doesn't sound good,
but it's practically heaven compared to India's death rows. India is incredibly secretive
about its death row practices and rarely releases any official documents about the conditions its
inmates are kept under. But some stories told by prisoners who had their convictions overturned paint a pretty bleak story. They're held in solitary
confinement for most of the day, and conversation with any other inmates is strictly prohibited. There's no air conditioning
despite temperatures rising to 113 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, but the cells do have windows. Unfortunately, many look
out over a set of gallows in the prison yard,
serving as an unavoidable, tortuous reminder of the
fate that awaits them. In Vietnam though, it gets worse. Like India, very little is known about the death row system here, but the laws require inmates to be held in solitary confinement and
monitored around the clock. According to stories from former inmates, if a death row prisoner is
deemed particularly dangerous, they have one of their
feet shackled to the cell. In these cases, the
prisoners are only released from the shackles for 15 minutes a day, in which time they can bathe,
eat, and use the toilet. Oh man, that sounds so bad it almost makes Alabama look good. (image whooshing)
(calm music) The wait. Once the gavel comes down and
the death sentence is passed, prisoners aren't immediately
shipped off to the afterlife. In many countries, the appeals and potential exoneration
process is a long and arduous one that can see prisoners pacing
around their cells for years. But it's not the same the world over. So, let's start in America. With so many legal hoops to
jump through regarding appeals, scheduling, petitions,
Supreme Court decisions, and trials that can last decades, prisoners can expect to
wait an average of 22 years between sentencing and punishment. During this time around
25% of inmates pass away from natural causes. Back in the 1990s though, this was an average of just eight years, but the complexity and
time-consuming nature of the sentences, plus the
ever-growing backlog of cases has seen this wait time increase. And that's just the average. Inmate Raymond Riles spent
more than 45 years on death row in Texas before being resentenced
to life in prison in 2021. But once the death
warrant has been signed, depending on the state,
prisoners will be informed they have between just 10 and
90 days to make their peace. Over in Japan, trials
can also last decades thanks to the legal system. But prisoners here aren't
often given the luxury of a death date. So little warning is given,
some inmates are only informed of their execution on the day it happens. This makes the story of the
world's longest surviving death row inmate, Iwao
Hakamada, even more amazing as he survived on death
row for more than 48 years. Fortunately, he was acquitted
after it was discovered police had falsified evidence against him. That's a long time not knowing if today will be your last
for a crime you didn't commit. However, when it comes to waiting, few countries are as
scarily efficient as China. The country itself is very private regarding its death row process. Even so, an in-depth study
based on scraps of information leaked from the country
has led experts to believe that the average time between
sentencing and punishment is a harrowingly short 50 days. That's less than two months. It sounds impossibly quick, but considering China is the
world's leading executioner with thousands of citizens estimated to meet this fate every year,
it would certainly make sense. In comparison, just 17 capital
sentences were carried out across the U.S. in 2020. But in Belarus, the time
an inmate has to make peace with the final ruling is even quicker. It's reported that the convict
in question is informed that all their appeals have
either failed or been denied just two minutes before the
sentence is carried out. I'm not sure which would
be worse: waiting for days or given a few minutes to
come to terms with it all. What do you think? Let me know down in the comments. (calm music)
(fingers tapping) (image whooshing) Last meals. If you knew the next meal
you ate would be your last, what would you go for? I'd choose a big juicy
steak with all the trimmings and a huge chocolate brownie for dessert. Man, that sounds good. But for a lot of prisoners on death row, the last meal they eat
isn't always something they have a choice in. In the U.S., last meals
are often served to inmates a few days before their date with destiny. Most can order anything they want. Well, almost anything. Prisons can deny requests for
alcohol or tobacco products, and others can limit the requests to items that can only be obtained
from within the prison system. That can mean no fast food, no local gourmet restaurant delivery, and even no home-cooked
meal from their family. Many states also have a cost limit on the last meals of their prisoners. In Florida, the meal can cost up to $40, but in Oklahoma it can
only cost up to $15. Sounds kinda stingy, but it's
better than being in Texas. Currently, prisoners aren't even allowed to pick their last meal. They used to be able to, but back in 2011, death row inmate Lawrence Brewer ordered a huge banquet
of food for his last meal and then refused to
eat it once it arrived. So, Texas changed its policy, and now none of Texas'
death row inmates get a say in what they're served. But many states have been
pretty lenient in the past, allowing inmates to
order whatever they want. Before Illinois inmate John Wayne Gacy received his capital
punishment back in 1994, he was able to order a
bucket of KFC, fries, 12 fried shrimp, a pound of
fresh strawberries, and a coke. On the other end of the
spectrum, back in 1963, Iowa inmate Victor Feguer
ordered a single olive with the stone still in it. He hoped the stone would
sprout into a tree on his grave as a symbol of peace. But for all his good
intentions, that never happened. One of the stranger requests
a Texas prison received before the ban on last meals
came from James Edward Smith back in 1990 who
requested a plate of dirt. Not just any old dirt, rhaeakunda dirt, earth taken from someone's grave. It's often associated with voodoo rituals, and James believed that by eating it he wouldn't become a ghost. Suffice to say, this
was a little too macabre for the wardens to fulfill. He got a yogurt instead. Now, last meals aren't
guaranteed all over the world. In Indonesia, last meal
requests on death row generally aren't taken. However, back in 2015, members
of the Bali 9 smuggling gang were allowed to order pizza and KFC in the days leading up
to their date with fate. Here, food can also be
provided by family members and split between prisoners,
if they feel like sharing. Over in Malaysia, last
meals are often made from a fixed variety of food, including steak, fried chicken,
plain rice, vegetables, salad, milk, orange juice and water. Although, some inmates who
declined last meals in the past were sometimes given a
simple KFC dinner instead. Hang on, what's the deal with KFC being a last meal of
choice for so many people? I guess it's tasty, cheap,
and easy to get a hold of. Well, at least they're
able to tick that meal off their KFC bucket list. In Taiwan, the rules
around alcohol on death row are a little laxer. A final meal of the prisoner's choice, such as traditional bento, is served with a bottle
of Kaoliang liquor. It's a very strong sorghum-based drink which is popular across China and Taiwan. I'm sure having the
whole bottle to yourself would take the edge off even
the most nervous inmate. What about somewhere a
bit bigger, like India? While there's no last meal
ritual stipulated in the law, prison authorities
reportedly do make exceptions for inmates in their final hours. In 2012, prisoner Ajmal Kasab apparently requested a couple of tomatoes. The guards generously offered
him an entire basketful, but he only took two, and of
them he only munched on one. Knowing all that, where would
you want your last meal to be? Let me know down below. (image whooshing)
(calm music) The exceptions. While some crimes might lawfully
warrant capital punishment, special circumstances can
see a criminal get away with a slightly lighter sentence. In the U.S., intellectual disability is a pretty important factor. Up till 2014, it was
considered unconstitutional to issue someone with an IQ of 70 or under with a capital punishment. But when inmate Freddie Lee Hall was found to have an IQ score of 71, a mere margin of error, the state of Florida still slapped him with a death sentence. The unfairness was eventually overruled, but the strict 70-point cutoff
is still currently employed as part of a more rigid framework by states like Kentucky and Alabama. In Nigeria, there's nothing in the rules about excusing those with
intellectual disability, but they do draw the line at
sentencing pregnant women. At least, they don't fulfill the sentence while they're pregnant, though it can still go ahead
after the birth of the child. It sounds grim, but this rule applies to almost all countries where
the death penalty is legal, including Japan and the U.S. Oh mama. But in Vietnam, pregnant
women are totally exempt from the charge, and
instead can be sentenced to life in prison. What's more, women nursing a
child under three years old are also exempt, along with
people over the age of 75. There's also a workaround for officials convicted of corruption who can spare themselves the death penalty if they pay back at
least 75% of the profits they illicitly obtained. That's certainly one way
to get people to cough up. And in the United Arab Emirates, compensation isn't just an
escape route for officials. As a country that abides by Sharia law, a convict on death row
may be fully pardoned by the family of the victim. Usually, this involves an
agreed form of payment. It sounds like a ruling out of the past, but as recently as June
2021, Becks Krishnan, an Indian businessman on UAE's death row, promised to pay the family of his victim 500,000 Emirati dirham, roughly $130,000, to pardon him for his crimes. And they say money can't
buy you everything. (image whooshing)
(calm music) The methods. It might surprise you, but not
all modern execution methods are the same from country to country. How a prisoner is put
to death varies widely depending on where they are, and it's not even the same across the U.S. The U.S. has not one, not two,
but five authorized methods they use to carry out death sentences, though most meet their
end via lethal injection. Prisoners are led to an isolated room and restrained on a table. Then they're injected with up to three different
pharmaceutical drugs. The first sedates the prisoner,
the second paralyzes them, and the final one stops their heart. However, in eight states, including Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee, electrocution is also currently used. That's right, the good old electric chair. And disturbingly, it's the primary method used in South Carolina, ugh. More antiquated methods, like lethal gas, are allowed in three states,
hanging in two states, and firing squads in four. And incredibly, in most states
prisoners can actually choose how they'd like to go. That's a decision I hope
none of us ever have to make. Over in Japan and South Korea though, there's only one option. The primary method used
in both these countries is (gulps) hanging. In Japan, prisoners are
led into a sterile chamber with a large red box marked on the floor. A blindfold and black hood
are placed over their head along with a noose, their
hands and legs are bound to prevent them from flailing,
and they stand in the box. Then, out of view, up to five guards hit a set of five buttons simultaneously which activates the
trap door, the red box. Why five buttons when it
only requires one to open? Well, this makes it unclear
which guard is responsible, allowing them to keep
their conscience clear. In China, one of two methods are used: lethal injection or a single gunshot. But unlike the U.S. and Japan, which have dedicated chambers, not all condemned Chinese
prisoners are so lucky. Disguised as a regular police van, China's mobile execution
units can load the condemned into the back and carry out
lethal injections on the road. Apparently, this is all
for the sake of efficiency. Ugh, that is one police van you do not wanna get pulled over by. Over in Taiwan though, it's
a very different affair. Following the last meal, the
prisoner is taken to a chamber, anesthetized, and laid
on the ground face down. The act is carried out
with a single gunshot, and that's when it starts to get weird. It's customary for the
executioner to burn votive money, a type of fake currency, as an offering to the
deceased in the afterlife. It's also customary for the
inmate to tuck a little money into their leg irons as, get this, a tip for their executioner
for doing a good job. I'd really hate to see
what sort of service a bad tip would get you. Well, now I've compared
death row, prisons, and schools around the world, and I don't know which
was more eye opening. If you haven't checked out the
other videos in this series, I'll leave the links down below. And if you've got a suggestion
for another comparison video, let me know in the comments. Thanks for watching. (upbeat music)
