for male death row inmates, opened in August 1990. Previously Unit 17 housed MSP's male death row. On March 18, 1998 the legislature made another amendment, removing the gas chamber as a method of execution. The lethal injection table was first used in 2002. Since 1976, Mississippi has executed fewer prisoners than six other southern states despite comparable homicide rates. As of November 2021, 22 inmates were executed after 1976. One critic claims that this stems from the inability of poorer counties to afford legal fees for defendants accused of capital crimes. Because death penalty cases are subject to a high standard of review—and there is a constitutional requirement for effective assistance of counsel as a matter of Due process of law and subsequent appellate review—this has led to a practical and constitutional impediment to its operation. Since 1985, six prisoners on death row in Mississippi have been released after their charges were dismissed or they were acquitted of the charges on appeal. Further reading Cabana, Donald A. "The History of Capital Punishment in Mississippi: An Overview." (Archive) HistoryNow, Mississippi Historical Society. Hosted at the Mississippi Department of Archives & History. See also List of people executed in Mississippi List of death row inmates in Mississippi Crime in Mississippi Law of Mississippi References External links Death Row - Mississippi Department of Corrections Death Row - Mississippi Department of Corrections (Archive) Mississippi Mississippi law