Case of terminally ill Gerald Pizzuto renews debate about capital punishment for people who are sick or very old

Gerald Pizzuto is near death, but it’s unclear whether the cancer or the state of Idaho will get to him first.

For more than a year, the 65-year-old has been in hospice care on Idaho’s death row, suffering from advanced bladder tumors, along with type 2 diabetes, and a variety of heart and lung diseases. According to his defense team, he’s been prescribed 42 different drugs in the last year, and his medical records say he has “begun experiencing memory loss and mild disorientation associated with the death process”.

Related: South Carolina lawmakers vote to allow execution by firing squad

We’ve got death rows that are starting to feel like assisted living

This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.