US Justice Department Authorises Federal Firing Squads, Gas, Electrocution for Executions
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has instructed federal prisons to broaden their approved methods for executions, now encompassing firing squads, gas asphyxiation, and electrocution. This 48-page directive, issued on Friday, asserts that these changes will 'strengthen' capital punishment, serving to 'deter the most barbaric crimes, delivering justice for victims and providing long-overdue closure to surviving loved ones'.
Former President Donald Trump, a vocal proponent of capital punishment, directed the DOJ to resume executions on his first day in office last year. The previous administration had imposed a moratorium on most federal executions, with former President Joe Biden commuting the sentences of 37 out of 40 federal death row prisoners before leaving office. During Trump's initial term, a 20-year federal execution moratorium was ended, resulting in 13 inmates being executed.
The DOJ memo also defends lethal injection, describing the drug pentobarbital as 'the gold standard of lethal injection drugs'. While this has been the default federal execution method since 1993, it has faced criticism as a cruel practice and has encountered sourcing difficulties. Broadening the available methods 'will help ensure the department is prepared to carry out lawful executions even if a specific drug is unavailable', an accompanying DOJ report stated.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche argued that 'the prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers and cop killers'. In response, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin condemned the change as 'cruel, immoral and discriminatory', stating it 'will be a stain on our history'.
Individual US states already utilise diverse execution methods; five states currently permit firing squads. In 2024, Alabama was the first state to execute a prisoner using nitrogen gas, a method subsequently adopted by four other states.
