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It is one of the oldest methods of execution. However, Delaware, New Hampshire and Washington authorize hanging as a form of capital punishment. Depending on the convict's sentencing date he or she may be allowed to choose between hanging and lethal injection.
Prior to the execution the prisoner must be weighed in order to calculate the length of the rope. The noose is then placed around the inmate's neck behind his or her left ear which will cause to snap the neck. The trap door then opens and the convict drops.
If properly done, death is caused by dislocation of the vertebraes, or by asphyxiation. If careful calculation is not done, strangulation, obstructed blood flow, or beheading could result.
Since 1976, three people have been hanged in the USA.
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