Ohio prisons director says executioners occasionally miss rehearsals for inmates’ last day

Ohio prison staff sometimes miss execution prep

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio prisons director says the state’s volunteer executioners occasionally miss mandated rehearsals for inmates’ last day.

Ernie Moore, director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, says members of the execution team have missed rehearsals because of weather, sickness, vacation and other reasons.

Moore provided first-ever details about prison staff members’ attendance at execution training in an affidavit filed Friday in federal court in Columbus.

Moore was responding to allegations by death row inmates’ attorneys that Ohio fails to consistently enforce the mandatory training requirements.

The state says an occasional excused absence is to be expected and doesn’t reflect on the ability of team members to perform their jobs. It says its executioners are well trained.