A chilling YouTube video has pulled back the curtain on one of history’s most infamous execution methods—the electric chair.
While most people would never want to choose their own method of execution, in some cases, that decision has been real.
And for those sentenced to the electric chair, Zack D Films has provided a striking breakdown of what really happens.
So, how does it work?
The process begins with the prisoner being shaved and strapped into the chair with belts across the chest, groin, arms, and legs.
Saline-soaked sponges are placed under metal electrodes on the scalp and a shaved section of the leg to optimize conductivity.
Once activated, a jolt of 500 to 2000 volts surges through the body, causing violent convulsions and an erratic heartbeat—until the heart stops.
First introduced in 1888 as a supposedly more humane alternative to hanging.
The electric chair has been used in 163 executions since then, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
