The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced plans to reinstate firing squads as a method of execution. The purpose is to speed up the implementation of the federal death penalty system.In a statement released Friday, the department said it would “expand the protocol to include other execution methods, such as firing squads,” while reinstating policies used during Donald Trump’s first administration. The move marks a sharp shift from the approach taken under former U.S. President Joe Biden, whose administration imposed limits on federal executions.Officials said they would also resume use of lethal injection protocols and streamline internal processes to reduce delays in executions.The changes are intended to ensure executions can proceed after prisoners have exhausted their appeals, the department added, calling the move necessary to deliver justice and improve public safety.Acting Attorney General Todd Branch criticized the previous administration’s handling of the death penalty, saying it failed to protect the public.“The previous administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment for the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers and cop killers,” he said.“Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice is once again enforcing the law and standing with victims,” Branch added.The department also plans to shorten the time between conviction and execution by reviewing the legal process and reducing delays in the appeals process. Further steps are being considered, including changes to how death sentences are carried out and restrictions on when clemency applications can be made, the statement said.The policy shift follows an executive order issued by Trump on his first day in office directing the Justice Department to prioritize death penalty cases and increase enforcement. Since then, dozens of cases have been reviewed, including several in which new death sentences were approved, officials said.Under the previous administration, federal executions were on hold due to concerns about the lethal injection method and opposition to the death penalty. The Justice Department has now officially lifted the moratorium.Firing squads remain rare in the United States, but are still allowed in some states under certain conditions. Their use has been restricted in recent years, and only a handful of executions have been carried out this way since the 1970s.
