text: why do they sterilize the needle before lethal injection?   funny. i asked that same question a few days ago. and somebody had said that they do that to show that even a person is in dealth row, he/she is being treated equally as anyone else.  it does make sense if you think about it. just because they are a convict on death row doesn't mean that they arent a human being.  i think the question is why do they sterilize the area where the needle is being put into before lethal injection?