Justice Department to allow firing squads for executions in move to ramp up capital punishment
The U.S. Will Now Shoot Some of Its Condemned. The Debate Over State Killing Continues, Unchanged.
What Happened
The U.S. Department of Justice has updated its execution protocols to formally authorize firing squads as an approved method of capital punishment. This is part of a broader push by the current administration to accelerate the pace of federal executions, expanding the methods available to carry out death sentences beyond lethal injection.
Historical Context
Firing squads are not new to American justice — they were the dominant method of execution for much of U.S. history and remained in use in Utah as recently as 2010. At the federal level, the previous administration carried out 13 executions in its final months (2020–2021), the most in over 70 years, after an 18-year federal execution moratorium. There are currently around 40 people on federal death row. The U.S. remains one of roughly 55 countries that still practices capital punishment, placing it alongside China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Public support for the death penalty in the U.S. has hovered around 50–55% for the past decade, down from 80% in 1994 — a long, slow slide toward ambivalence.
What's In Your Control
Whether you contact your congressional representative if you hold strong views on capital punishment. Whether you follow the work of organizations like the Innocence Project or Death Penalty Information Center if this issue matters to you. Whether you engage thoughtfully with the genuine moral complexity here, rather than reacting to the provocative framing of "firing squads."
Does This Require Action?
This is a real federal policy change worth knowing about, especially if you care about criminal justice or civil liberties. It does not require immediate action from most readers. Permission granted to form your view slowly — this is one of civilization's oldest and hardest questions, and it deserves more than a hot take.
Sources: NPR
