# Last meal > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Last_meal > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Last_meal.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_meal > Source revision: 1353078132 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Meal preceding one's execution}} {{Redirect|Last meals|a list of last meals|List of last meals}} {{Worldwide view|date=April 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}} A condemned prisoner's '''last meal''' is a customary ritual preceding [execution](/source/Capital_punishment). In many countries, the prisoner may, within reason, select what the last meal will be. == Contemporary restrictions in the United States == Contrary to the [common belief](/source/List_of_common_misconceptions) that all last meal requests, regardless of their complexity, must be fulfilled, various restrictions are in place over what can be requested.{{Cite web |last=Mikkelson |first=David |date=October 30, 2014 |title=Death Row Inmate Asks for a Child As His Last Meal, Texas DOC Plan to Grant Request? |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/texas-two-misstep/ |access-date=June 25, 2024 |website=[Snopes](/source/Snopes)}}{{Cite news |last=Beam |first=Christopher |date=November 10, 2009 |title=I'll Have 24 Tacos and the Filet Mignon |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2009/11/can-a-prisoner-request-anything-for-his-last-meal.html |access-date=June 25, 2024 |work=[Slate](/source/Slate_(magazine))}} In the [United States](/source/United_States), most states give the meal a day or two before the actual execution and now use the [euphemism](/source/euphemism) "special meal". [Alcohol](/source/Alcoholic_beverage) and [tobacco](/source/tobacco) are usually, but not always, denied. Unorthodox or unavailable requests can be replaced with similar substitutes. Some states place tight restrictions. Sometimes, a prisoner asks to share the last meal with another inmate (as [Francis Crowley](/source/Francis_Crowley) did with John Resko in 1932) or has the meal distributed among other inmates (as requested by [Raymond Fernandez](/source/Raymond_Fernandez_(serial_killer)) in 1951).{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/peoplesalmanacpr03wall |title=The Book of Lists #3 |publisher=Bantam |year=1983 |isbn=978-0-553-27868-2 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/peoplesalmanacpr03wall/page/85 85–87] |url-access=registration}} In [Florida](/source/Florida), the food for the last meal must be purchased locally and the cost is limited to $40.{{cite web|title=Death Row Fact Sheet |work=Florida Department of Corrections |url=http://www.dc.state.fl.us/oth/deathrow/index.html |access-date=11 November 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612151254/http://www.dc.state.fl.us/oth/deathrow/index.html |archive-date=12 June 2008 }} In [Oklahoma](/source/Oklahoma), the cost is limited to $25. In [Louisiana](/source/Louisiana), the [Angola prison](/source/Angola_prison) [warden](/source/prison_warden) traditionally joins the condemned prisoner for the last meal. On one occasion, the warden paid for an inmate's lobster dinner.{{cite web|last=Turner|first=Allan|date=2011-09-23|title=Last-meal requests come to an end on Texas death row|url=http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Last-meal-requests-come-to-an-end-on-Texas-death-2184484.php|work=Houston Chronicle|access-date=23 September 2011|archive-date=24 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924080519/http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Last-meal-requests-come-to-an-end-on-Texas-death-2184484.php|url-status=live}} In September 2011, [Texas](/source/Texas) abolished its long-standing tradition of customized last meals after [Lawrence Brewer](/source/Murder_of_James_Byrd_Jr.) requested a large, expensive meal and refused to eat any of it.{{cite web |date=2011-09-22 |title=Last-meal requests off death row menu |url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Last-meal-tradition-for-death-row-inmates-2184368.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925012525/http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Last-meal-tradition-for-death-row-inmates-2184368.php |archive-date=25 September 2011 |access-date=25 September 2011 |work=San Antonio Express-News}} Consequently, condemned prisoners in Texas are now restricted to the standard meal provided in the [Huntsville Unit](/source/Huntsville_Unit) cafeteria on the day of their execution.{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z13UwA9UzeY&t=621s | title=Death Row the Final 24 Hours Documentary & Discovery HD Channel Official | website=[YouTube](/source/YouTube) | date=24 April 2015 }} ==Documented last meal requests== {{further|List of last meals}} ==See also== {{Portal|Food|Law}} * [Capital punishment](/source/Capital_punishment) * [Death row](/source/Death_row) * [Final statement](/source/Final_statement) * [Last Supper](/source/Last_Supper) * [Religion and capital punishment](/source/Religion_and_capital_punishment) == References == {{reflist|30em}} == Further reading == * Treadwell, Ty and Vernon, Michelle (2011) ''Last Suppers: Famous Final Meals from Death Row'' * {{cite book | last=Van Dülmen | first=Richard | year=1990 | title=Theatre of Horror : Crime and Punishment in Early Modern Germany | publisher=Cambridge | isbn=978-0-7456-0616-3}} * {{cite book | last=Foucault | first=Michel | year=1977 | title=Discipline & Punish : The Birth of the Prison | publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing | url=https://archive.org/details/discipl_fou_1995_00_1646 | url-access=registration | isbn=978-0-679-75255-4}} * {{cite book | last=Von Hentig |first=Hans | year=1973 | title=Punishment – Its Origin, Purpose, and Psychology |publisher=Patterson Smith | isbn=978-0-87585-147-1}} * {{cite book|last=Osler|first=Mark|title=Jesus on Death Row: The Trial of Jesus and American Capital Punishment|publisher=Abingdon Press|location=Nashville, Tennessee|date=February 2009|pages=[https://archive.org/details/jesusondeath_osle_2009_000_10461167/page/n76 63]–67|chapter=Ch. 7: Last Meal / Last Supper|isbn=978-0-687-64756-9|url=https://archive.org/details/jesusondeath_osle_2009_000_10461167|url-access=registration}} * {{cite journal|author=Jones, Michael Owen|title=Dining on Death Row: Last Meals and the Crutch of Ritual|journal=[The Journal of American Folklore](/source/The_Journal_of_American_Folklore)|volume=127|issue=503|pages=3–26|doi=10.5406/jamerfolk.127.503.0003|jstor=10.5406/jamerfolk.127.503.0003 |year=2014|s2cid=144164543}} == External links == * Greene, Bob (12 June 2001). [http://www.jewishworldreview.com/bob/greene061201.asp They didn't get to choose their last meals]. ''Jewish World Review''. Retrieved on 2007-08-17. * Karon, Tony (10 August 2000). [https://web.archive.org/web/20011221001532/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,52337,00.html Why We're Fascinated by Death Row Cuisine]. ''TIME Magazine''. Retrieved on 2007-08-17. * Stein, Joel (18 October 2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20071021030329/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1673252,00.html You Eat What You Are]. ''TIME Magazine''. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. * [http://www.famouslastmeals.com/ Famous Last Meals]. ''Portraits of Last Requests''. Retrieved on 2010-09-17. * [https://web.archive.org/web/20031202214318/http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/finalmeals.htm Final Meal Requests]. ''Texas Department of Criminal Justice'' (12 September 2003). Archived from [http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/finalmeals.htm the original] on 2003-12-02. Retrieved on 2011-03-17. * [http://www.rotten.com/library/death/execution/last-meals/ Last Meals] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170212020307/http://www.rotten.com/library/death/execution/last-meals/ |date=12 February 2017 }}. ''rotten dot com''. Retrieved on 2007-08-17. * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100622070723/http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/voracious/2010/06/last_meals_what_would_you_orde.php Last Meals: What Would You Order?] ''[Seattle Weekly](/source/Seattle_Weekly)'' (18 June 2010). Retrieved on 2010-06-24. * [http://www.deadmaneating.com/ Last Meals on Death Row (since 2002)]. ''Dead Man Eating''. Retrieved on 2007-08-17. * [http://zombie-popcorn.com/?p=317 Top 10 Death Row Last Meal Requests from Texas] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111117055050/http://zombie-popcorn.com/?p=317 |date=17 November 2011 }}. ''Zombie Popcorn'' (9 October 2008) Retrieved on 2010-09-29. {{capital punishment}} {{CapPun-US}} Category:Capital punishment Category:Death customs Category:Meals Category:Prison food --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Last meal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_meal) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_meal?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.