Arkansas is set to undertake a mass of executions unseen in decades: 8 men in 10 days. The state’s supply of a controversial lethal injection drug cocktail is set to expire, and drug companies are refusing to provide a key ingredient for use in executions.

The key ingredient is a popular sedative called Midazolam. It is used to put inmates to sleep before the lethal drugs are injected. However, Midazolam is not an anesthetic, and has been linked to botched executions. Inmates will often regain consciousness long before the lethal drugs have completed their work, experiencing the pain of a slow death for up to two hours as their bodily systems shut down.

Compressed execution schedules have also been linked to botched executions. In Oklahoma, an investigation into a previous botched execution revealed that the inmate’s IV drip lines were improperly connected during a double-execution day. Staff stress related to the compressed schedule was named as factor.

This combination of compressed schedules and unreliable execution drugs mean “lethal injection has been turned from a method of execution into a medical experiment.” This is barbarism and it’s wrong.

Our communities can achieve justice for crime victims, without committing further injustices in the process. Sign this petition to tell Governor Hutchinson to stop the double-executions in April. No botched executions on our watch!