In a move that’s reigniting debate around capital punishment, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is exploring the possibility of bringing back firing squads as a method for federal executions. This consideration comes at a time when public opinion on the death penalty appears to be shifting, with support declining over the past two decades.
DOJ’s Push for Expanded Execution Methods
According to a recent memo from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, dated April 24th, the DOJ aims to “strengthen” the federal death penalty. The plan involves not only reinstating lethal injection protocols used during former President Donald Trump’s administration but also exploring additional execution methods, including the firing squad. The memo explicitly states the intention to “expand the protocol to include additional manners of execution, such as the firing squad, and streamlining internal processes to expedite death penalty cases.”
Blanche has criticized the Biden-Harris administration, alleging a failure “in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals.” This contrasts with former President Joe Biden’s actions, which included placing a moratorium on several federal executions and reversing efforts to expand the death penalty.
Public Opinion and Controversial Methods
The push for firing squads comes as overall support for the death penalty has fallen to 52%, with even lower numbers among younger generations like millennials (47%) and Gen Z (42%). Furthermore, the idea of firing squads is met with significant controversy. Many Americans view it as a violent and gruesome method, with one individual quoted by the University of Richmond’s Corinna Lain stating, “Well, that’s what murderers do.”
Lain, an expert on law, describes the firing squad as “bloody,” “violent,” and “grotesque.” She labels it a form of “dehumanization” and “explicit brutality.” Currently, this method is only legal in five states: South Carolina, Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Utah. Lain also argues that resources allocated to death penalty cases could be better utilized, suggesting that converting death sentences to life without parole would save millions of dollars.
High-Profile Cases on Death Row
The Death Penalty Information Center reports that nearly 2,100 prisoners are currently on death row nationwide. Among them are individuals whose crimes have garnered significant public attention, such as Robert Bowers, responsible for the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, and Dylann Roof, who murdered nine members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
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