The United States Department of Justice announced this Friday a review of its federal death penalty policy that includes the reintroduction of the firing squad as an execution method, along with the readoption of the lethal injection protocol and a series of changes to accelerate internal procedures.
According to the official statement issued by this department, the measure is part of a package of reforms aimed at reinforcing the application of the death penalty in the most serious federal cases, with the objective of streamlining its execution and reducing procedural times.
A Turn in Federal Execution Methods
The DOJ has confirmed that among the main new features are:
- The recovery of the lethal injection protocol used during the first Trump administration.
- The expansion of available execution methods, including firing squad.
- The simplification of internal procedures to expedite death penalty cases.
The Department of Justice justifies these changes as a necessary response to guarantee the effectiveness of the federal penal system.
Government Arguments: deterrence and justice for victims
In its statement, the federal agency maintains that these measures seek:
- Deter the most serious crimes
- Ensure justice in cases of greatest violence
- Provide a “long-awaited closure” to victims’ families
The administration defends that the reform responds to the need to provide greater effectiveness to the system of execution of capital penalties in the federal sphere.