Capital punishment has reared its controversial head once again, this time in the form of concerns about lethal injection procedures across the country.

A recent Reuters article in the New York Times cast doubt on the efficiency and humaneness of lethal injection procedures. Researchers at the University of Miami found that inmates executed by lethal injection may suffocate to death and suffer pain from the injection.

The three drugs used, an anesthetic, a drug that paralyzes the muscles and lungs and one that stops the heart, are not being administered properly. The study found that inadequate amounts of anesthetic were used and prisoners may be conscious while the other two drugs do their work, or that needles were inserted improperly, leading to chemical burns. Questions about the constitutionality of the drugs and whether they violate the ban on cruel and unusual punishment were immediately raised.

According to the article, lethal injection is used by 37 states and the federal government as the main form of execution, but 12 states have stopped or suspended the procedure for ethical and legal concerns.

Whether Americans should or can agree on the issue of capital punishment, the issue of regulating how it's done should be a concern to all. The American Medical Association bars medical professionals from engaging in executions, and this study should generate discussion about how well-trained and knowledgeable executioners are about how to properly administer the drugs.

If lethal injections are going to be part of the the United States prison system, they should at least be done right.