Question

why a criminal hangs in jail before sun rise

Answer 1

The legal reason is the law of the land. As the person is kept in a prison before the execution and execution is carried out in jail premises, the Prison manual is followed. In India, where death penalty is still in force, 'Model prison manual for the superintendence and management of prisons in India' states - "The execution shall take place early in the morning before it gets bright. The latest time of the day for different seasons will be in accordance with orders passed separately by the Government." Source: Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) Based on this manual, various Indian states have prepared their own manuals, wherein elaborate procedure for fixing the dates and time of execution are explained. But the reasons for such a selection are not mentioned anywhere and they appear to follow the historical customs and conventions in this regard. The explanations cited in random sources points towards these reasons: 1. Administrative reasons: --> As the execution being one of the most important task of the day for Jail authorities, is generally carried out in the morning. This would ensure that other daily chores are not affected. --> The hanging follows medical examination (conforming death), entries in various registers, notes and approval, handing over the dead body to the inmate's family. carrying out the execution in the morning facilitates these tasks. 2. Ethical reasons - --> The inmate on death penalty should not be made to wait for the moment during the day. This would lead to immense mental agony on his part. His punishment is death penalty and not mental agony. He is generally woke up few hours before the execution and after doing routine physical chores, and prayers (if any), he is taken to the gallows. -->Giving enough time to the family of inmate to take his body to his native place and for preparing for his last rites. 3. Social reasons- ->Hanging of a person is a big news for the affected society. To restrain the effect of the hanging on collective conscience of the society and to limit any social trauma or outcry, the execution is carried out before the society wakes up to the event.