"I honestly feel that the death penalty, they say it's a deterrent and everything, if you're going to use it as a deterrent, it should be done in the public eye. They should do it at a time when children are in school and old enough to see this and televise it, so they can see what the outcome of leading a bad life can come to. "  —Richard Hinojosa 

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CourtTVnews.com reporters Emanuella Grinberg and Andrew Brooks interviewed death row inmate Richard Hinojosa on Aug. 2 at the Polunsky Prison Unit in Livingston, Texas. He was executed on Thursday, Aug. 17. The transcript below has been edited for length and clarity.

COURTTVNEWS.COM: Can you describe a typical day for you here on death row?

RICHARD HINOJOSA: A typical day would be waking up maybe 5 or 6 o'clock, and laying back in my bunk and trying to figure out what I'm going to do today. And maybe spending 30 to 45 minutes in meditation and prayer. After that, struggling to find something to do on a daily basis.

CTV: What do you look forward to each day?

HINOJOSA: There's nothing really to look forward here. Maybe seeing a chaplain every once in a while, I look forward to that. Spending time with people to talk with.

CTV: What is the low point of your day?

HINOJOSA: The low point is before you go to bed. You know in your mind and in your heart that you're going to have to wake up to face another day here. You know, it's pretty monotonous.

CTV: Do you have a favorite book?

HINOJOSA: A book, well, I suffer from severe dyslexia. I dropped out of school at very young age. I have learned how to read a little bit here, and my favorite book that I have been struggling to read is called "The Cherokee Full Circle." It's based on, you know, the spiritual aspect.

CTV: When did you drop out?

HINOJOSA: First year of junior high. At that time, when I was going to school, there was not very much known about dyslexia. And I found it very embarrassing and hard when teachers would call on me to perform in front of the class. And trying to explain things to them, it just got real frustrating.

CTV: Do you communicate with other inmates?

HINOJOSA: We talk. There's no physical contact, but we can talk to each other.

CTV: Who are you closest to?

HINOJOSA: He was executed. His name was Bryan Wolfe. We met each other at Ellis [Prison Unit] and he helped me correspond with family and friends. And he helped me to learn how to read. You know, he was truly a nice guy.

CTV: When was he executed?

HINOJOSA: It's going on two years.