the death chamber is a separate, secure area where outside clergy would be surrounded and protected by prison staff.
Indeed.
My thoughts:
1. The prisoner is tied down, secured.
2. Let whatever religious official the condemned wants be the one to make the risk assessment, accepting that while the prison staff will try to protect him or her, that they're on their own for any injury/death if the inmate does decide to attack them.
3. The execution itself is the ultimate punishment, and is more to protect society than to actually punish the convicted. It's like putting down a rabid animal. At this level, it isn't the animal's fault it is rabid, but it needs to be put down anyways. Make it as painless as practical.
Ron - the problem with using "security risk" is that anything could be a security risk. I'd add a "significant" in there to avoid stupidity.
I'm fine with that. Prisoner gets his (or her) last rites or whatever in the cell before starting the last walk. Chaplain (or other cleric who isn't designated as a chaplain) waits on the other side of the glass, with all the other observers. Simple, non-discriminatory, and doesn't create any semblamce of creating a state-sponsored religion.
All or none, I'm fine with that. All can be restricted
some with standards that are obviously about safety. Maybe things like "must be able to walk at a normal pace" to avoid having to deal with wheelchairs or excessively infirm chaplains.
That said, "other side of glass" would be my default for everybody. I support using nitrogen asphyxiation for execution, and using a room for it at that. As such, nobody else in the room. I'd have the chaplain in his own room, with an intercom system.