US Justice Department Authorises Firing Squad, Gas, Electrocution for Federal Executions
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has instructed federal prisons to broaden their methods for capital punishment, now permitting firing squads, gas asphyxiation, and electrocution.
A 48-page memo, released on Friday, contends these measures will 'strengthen' the death penalty, asserting they will 'deterring the most barbaric crimes, delivering justice for victims, and providing long-overdue closure to surviving loved ones'. This directive follows the previous administration's moratorium on most federal executions and former President Joe Biden's clemency grants to 37 of 40 federal death row prisoners.
President Donald Trump, a vocal proponent of capital punishment, directed the DOJ to resume federal executions on his first day in office this year. During his initial term, 13 death row inmates were executed, ending a 20-year moratorium. His January 2025 executive order mandated pursuing the death penalty for 'all crimes of a severity demanding its use', specifically mentioning cases where undocumented migrants kill law enforcement officers.
The DOJ memo also defends lethal injection, describing pentobarbital as 'the gold standard of lethal injection drugs'. Despite being the default method since 1993, it has faced considerable criticism from human rights organisations as a cruel form of execution, with recent difficulties in sourcing the drug. The expanded methods, an accompanying DOJ report states, 'will help ensure the Department is prepared to carry out lawful executions even if a specific drug is unavailable'.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated 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'.
Democratic Senator Dick Durbin condemned the policy shift as 'cruel, immoral, and discriminatory', adding that 'Expanding the federal death penalty will be a stain on our history'.
Several US states already employ alternative execution methods. Five states permit firing squads, and in 2024, Alabama became the first to use nitrogen gas, a method since adopted by four other states.
