Old Smokey

Old Smokey is a euphemistic name given to the state prison electric chair in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

[6] After the death penalty was abolished nationwide in 1972 following Furman v. Georgia, the chair was moved to storage and the chamber was converted to a visitor's center.

[10] New Jersey abandoned electrocution in favor of lethal injection in 1983,[11][12] then abolished capital punishment altogether in 2007.

[17] The chair was placed into storage in 1971 and reassembled in 1985,[18] but never was used again after Pennsylvania abolished electrocution in 1990 as an execution method, in favor of lethal injection.

[22][23] After switching its primary method of execution to lethal injection in 2000,[24] Tennessee has given prisoners sentenced to capital punishment before then a choice between lethal injection or electrocution; the chair was moved to Riverbend Maximum Security Institution and refurbished by Fred A.