This dissertation analyzes social and legal influences on Texas death-sentenced prisoners who hastened their own execution. Using variables derived from research on other types of decisions to hasten death, I compare these prisoners with other similarly-situated condemned prisoners who did not seek to hasten execution, and develop a theoretical model for their decisions. In addition, I examine both how these prisoners explain their decisions, and how court proceedings can shape these explanations. The dissertation concludes with a discussion of the sociolegal construction of different rights to die. / text