Lethal Injections & Last Words
Meet the chaplain who provided comfort and compassion to Texas death row inmates and their families.
Jimmy Martin is no stranger to death. As a young man, he watched one of his childhood heroes receive the death penalty after murdering three people in cold blood. It shook Jimmy to his core, and that catalyst resurfaced in his life years later when he became the death row chaplain and witness support liaison for the state of Texas.
As the head chaplain at the Coffield Unit in Anderson County, Texas, Jimmy was present for 43 execution dates. He served the death row inmates’ families as well, offering them comfort, compassion, and protection—on the worst day of their lives. He heard the last words, saw the last breaths of men who committed capital crimes. He ministered to death row inmates and their loved ones.
But it turns out, that was only half the battle.
The empathy he had for the incarcerated and their families was so great that it took an emotional toll on him. Jimmy is a rough-and-tough Texas cowboy with a heart the size of his home state. He had a job to do, but how would it affect him?
Today, you’re going to meet one of the best guys on this planet. But . . . that almost didn’t happen. Episode 5 of Crime & Compassion Podcast was originally recorded in May 2023, but due to a technical mess, it can’t be published. Jimmy and I redid the interview, and trust me when I say: the universe does not want this episode out.
I believe the biggest reason this episode has been so difficult to publish is due to Jimmy’s retelling of the worst execution he ever witnessed. Without spoiling it, Jimmy wanted revenge toward this person, but that isn’t how it worked out. Jimmy’s heart changed, and hearing someone talk about compassion and forgiveness when vengeance is preferred isn’t always a popular conversation to have. The message behind this hard-to-hear story is beautiful and convicting.
I am honored to know Jimmy, and I think you’ll feel the same way when you hear his story.
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5 Death Row Facts from an Expert
1. Death row chaplains are appointed, and volunteers are discouraged.
2. There is no executioner in Texas. A medical professional administers the IVs, and the unit warden has the remote actuator.
3. There are a minimum of three chaplains at executions: one for the offender, one for the offender’s witnesses, and one for the victim’s witnesses.
4. The restraints on the gurney were made by offenders in the craft shop.
5. There are separate witness galleries for the offender’s and victim’s witnesses. The condemned has a view of both.
Get to Know Jimmy
Jimmy Martin is an expert in the fields of corrections, true crime, gangs, and the Texas Death House.
He currently works as a technical advisor and consultant to media & content creators. Jimmy is instrumental in ensuring integrity in character and story development as well as situational and procedural authenticity. He draws from his own experience as a retired Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice (TDCJ-RPD) Chaplain II and served as Head Chaplain to the Telford, Powledge, and Coffield units.
While assigned as Unit Head Chaplain, Jimmy also accepted the task of Witness Support Liaison to the families of Death Row inmates at the Huntsville Unit Death House under direction of the Deputy Director of Religious Services.
Prior to his appointment to chaplaincy, Jimmy was stationed at the H.H. Coffield Unit, where he was assigned to the Field Force and achieved the rank of Correctional Officer V. Jimmy also worked with the following departments: Administrative-Segregation, Security Threat Group (gang investigation), and Dog Kennel / Pack Dogs (fugitive recovery). He was selected to serve as a First Responder Hostage Negotiation Trainer to the Region II Training Department and worked closely with the Region II Directors office.
Contact Jimmy at deathrowconsulting@gmail.com for questions!
On a Related Note
I spent 13 years in the publishing industry, and that—thankfully!—led me to Melinda Martin. I always call her a unicorn: she’s a book cover designer, book layout designer, self-publishing expert, speaker, and on and on! She can do anything. We spent years working together, and wouldn’t you know it? Her husband, Jimmy Martin, knows a thing or two about death row.
Which came in handy when Shari Bower, author of Before They Executed Him, asked me who to hire for cover art. Melinda could design, and Jimmy could consult!
Episode 1 of Crime & Compassion Podcast features Leslea Miller, daughter to the late Shari Bower. Leslea discusses her father, Texas death row inmate Les Bower, and his legacy.
Crime & Compassion strives to shake up how we view and treat the incarcerated. Podcast host Shayla Hale asks difficult questions to gain a more compassionate understanding of those who were written off. The podcast serves as a safe space for the formerly incarcerated, currently incarcerated, their families and loved ones, and those who work with men and women in US jails and prisons. Crime & Compassion’s goals are 1) to show love and kindness toward the captives, 2) to help bring their stories and art into the world, 3) to completely flip the narrative on the US justice system by having tough conversations, 4) to educate society on why people commit the crimes they do, and 5) to reframe how people see, treat, and think about the incarcerated.
The Life of a Death Row Chaplain: An Interview with Jimmy Martin