As Florida executions surge, this pastor walks with the condemned to their deaths

Resident theologian Rev. Jeff Hood, the spiritual advisor who has dedicated his pastoral career to counseling inmates on death row, holds a picture of William Silvia, who is set to be executed on August 18, and Jesus Christ during Sunday service at Sunshine Cathedral on August 17, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Hood, who has clients all over the country, has been busier than usual this year - particularly with inmates in Florida, a state that has reached record-breaking execution numbers under Gov. Ron DeSantis.