On the other hand, in Florida those charged with murder and have backgrounds of poverty and abuses are mostly likely to be on death row. A disproportionate number of death row inmates were black, and many were mentally ill or retarded.
             There were also similarities in the way the Aztecs and the American prison officials would announce death. The Aztec priests welcomed the captives to Mexico City, threw incense over them, and gave them some corn bread. The priests recite some words to the captives informing them what was going to happen, "Do you think you have come to live, you have come to die.....you will die here but your fame will live forever." The priests also taught the dances, music and drama that were used in the ritualistic ceremonies. In America the governor signs a death warrant after all appeals are over. The Death Warrant is a single page legal document with a black border. As soon as it is signed, the prison is notified, and the prisoner is read a formal announcement of the execution.
             Next, the treatment of the prisoner was an important part of the ritualistic practices. They tried to make it easier for the prisoner to undergo the ordeal. The Aztecs seemed to treat their captives with a great deal of respect compared to the United States prison officials. This may be due to the nature of the crimes committed. In other words, the Aztec captives were prisoners of war and were noble warriors who were being sacrificed to the gods, while the death row inmates are usually murders who are at the bottom of society and are being put to death as a retribution for their actions. The Aztecs served the captives corn beer, gave them special clothes
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