Texas Kills Off Ritual Of Special Last Meal For Those About To Be Executed

Deciding to take away a final creature comfort from death row inmates on the verge of execution, Texas has eliminated the traditional last meal ritual, in which the condemned got to choose a favorite dish before he departed.

According to CNN, a state senator who called for the end of the program wrote that criminals the justice system has found guilty of heinous offenses that merit the death penalty deserve no special treatment:

“It is extremely inappropriate to give a person sentenced to death such a privilege. One which the perpetrator did not provide to their victim.”

The tipping point came when a convict who was executed Wednesday ordered a pair of gravy-slathered chicken fried steaks, an omelet, a triple bacon cheeseburger, three fajitas, fried okra, ice cream, peanut butter fudge, a pizza, three root beers, a pound of barbecue and half a loaf of bread — and then declined to eat it.

Following the legislator’s request, the executive director of the Department of Criminal Justice said death row inmates’ last meals would be the same food other convicts eat.

Texas drops special last meal for death row inmates [CNN]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.