The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has directed federal prisons to expand the range of methods used for executions to include firing squads, gas asphyxiation, and electrocution.
In a 48-page memo released on Friday, the department states that this will strengthen the death penalty, deterring the most barbaric crimes, delivering justice for victims, and providing long-overdue closure to surviving loved ones.
The previous administration had placed a moratorium on most federal executions. Before leaving office, former president Joe Biden provided clemency to 37 of the 40 federal death row inmates.
President Donald Trump had directed the DOJ to resume federal executions on his first day in office last year.
The memo defends the use of lethal injection, citing the drug pentobarbital as the gold standard of lethal injection drugs. It has been the primary method of execution since 1993 but has faced criticism as being a cruel means of capital punishment, especially with challenges in sourcing the drug in recent years.
According to the DOJ, broadening the means of executions will ensure that the Department is prepared to carry out lawful executions even if specific drugs become unavailable.
Trump, a long-time proponent of the death penalty, ended a 20-year hiatus on federal executions during his term, with thirteen inmates executed. On his first day back in office in January 2025, he signed an executive order mandating the death penalty for severe crimes, particularly in instances where an illegal immigrant kills a law enforcement officer.
In a statement, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche criticized the previous administration for not pursuing the death penalty against dangerous criminals such as terrorists and child murderers.
Democratic Senator Dick Durbin responded to the DOJ's announcement, calling it cruel, immoral, and discriminatory, stating that expanding the federal death penalty will be a stain on our history.
Some states, which have their own death penalty laws, have already adopted alternative execution methods. Currently, five states utilize firing squads. In 2024, Alabama became the first state to execute a prisoner using nitrogen gas, with four other states following suit.
