The U.S. Department of Justice has announced a set of measures aimed at simplifying the application of the death penalty, including the resumption of firing squads for those convicted of particularly serious federal crimes. These steps are intended to ensure justice and provide closure for victims' families.
The U.S. Department of Justice has announced a series of significant changes aimed at simplifying the application of the death penalty at the federal level. Among these is the resumption of firing squads for individuals convicted of the most serious crimes under federal jurisdiction. The department stated this in a press release published on Friday.
Firing Squad as a Method of Execution
Currently, firing squads are permitted in five states, but they are rarely used. According to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), since the reinstatement of the death penalty in the U.S. in 1976 and until 2010, only three people were executed by firing squad, and in 2015, two more.
The U.S. Justice Department stated: "Among the actions taken are the reinstatement of the protocol for administering lethal injection [of pentobarbital], adopted during the first administration of [President Donald] Trump, the expansion of the protocol to include additional methods of execution, such as firing squads, and the simplification of internal processes to expedite death penalty cases." These measures are aimed at preventing the most barbaric crimes and ensuring justice.
The department also lifted the indefinite moratorium on federal executions that was imposed under President Joe Biden. As a result of this decision, executions for 44 defendants have been authorized. These steps, as emphasized by the Justice Department, are intended to provide long-awaited closure for the surviving relatives of victims.
Historical Context and Procedure
The first use of firing squads as a method of execution in the U.S. occurred in 1608 in the Jamestown colony in Virginia. In 1878, the Supreme Court ruled that executing criminals by firing squad does not violate the constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishments, as stated in a U.S. government report.
The procedure for carrying out a firing squad execution can vary significantly depending on the specific state. For example, in Utah, one of the rifles in the firing squad is loaded with blank cartridges, and none of the executioners knows which one it is.
A target is placed over the heart of the condemned, and their face is covered, after which the shot is fired. This is done to reduce the psychological burden on the executioners.
New Methods and Campaign Promises
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanch has instructed the Federal Bureau of Prisons to amend the execution protocol. The aim of these changes is to include additional constitutional methods of execution that are currently provided for in the laws of some states.
In addition to firing squads, such methods include electrocution and a new gas chamber method, first used in Alabama in 2024. These steps were taken by President Trump as part of fulfilling his campaign promise to resume the death penalty, according to Reuters.
During his first term, after a 20-year hiatus, 13 federal inmates were executed by injection. This underscores the administration's determination regarding the application of the death penalty.
