In Monster, why do you think the brief episode of Steve being prepared for death by lethal injection is included?

In the book Monster, by Walter Dean
Myers, there is a brief scene which shows Steve Harmon (the protagonist) being prepared
for death by lethal injection. Like all literature, the reasoning behind this question
is purely subjective.  One view is that the lethal injection scene is included because, 
throughout the novel, Steve has both flashbacks and flash-forwards. He works through his
situation playing out past and possible consequences to his life.  The scene with the
injection is a potential outcome for Steve given that he is on trial for being an
accomplice to a murder. He faces the trial realistically, acknowledges all of the
possible outcomes, while learning to deal with the internal and external conflict that
arises with being on trial.