Ol’ sparky is a scary way to be terminated, and just might be a useful deterrent.
Many, many years ago a TV show called "The Damon Runyan Theater" was a favorite of mine.
One episode had a couple of his typical third level goombahs lamenting the recent demise of one of their associates on "the old hot squatteroo."
Back in the late '40s I was growing up in NYC (about 13 at the time).
The state sent a large truck into our neighborhood that had a dummy electric chair, with all the trappings, set up in the middle. Everybody came around to see it. The cops let you in one at a time and had you sit in it "to get the feel". Scared the spit out of all of us.
Can you imagine the hue and cry if that was done today?