The U.S. Department of Justice has announced a streamlining of several procedures linked to carrying out death sentences, alongside the reintroduction of firing squads as an authorized method of execution.
“The steps taken include reinstating the lethal injection protocol established during the first (U.S. President Donald – ed.) Trump administration, broadening that protocol to incorporate supplementary execution methods such as firing squads, and simplifying internal procedures to expedite death penalty cases,” the department stated on its website.
The DOJ recalls that on the very first day of his second presidential term, Trump directed them to pursue capital sentences more aggressively “in appropriate cases” and to execute them swiftly. The department believes these new measures will serve as a deterrent against heinous crimes.
Specifically, the ministry has instructed the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons to resume utilizing pentobarbital for lethal injections, include execution by firing squad among the permissible sentence execution methods, and, if necessary, construct a dedicated facility for this purpose.
In the coming weeks, the DOJ plans to present several proposals aimed at substantially shaving “years off” the waiting period for convicts awaiting execution.
According to the Death Penalty Information Center, the number of death sentences carried out in 2025 was nearly four times higher than that recorded over the preceding five years. The lowest figure was observed in 2021, with 11 executions, compared to 47 in 2025.
The ultimate penalty is authorized as punishment in 27 U.S. states, where sentence appeals can stretch over decades. Trump had previously lifted the moratorium on capital punishment for cases under federal jurisdiction.
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