politics

DOJ reinstates firing squads, pentobarbital for federal executions

Updated on: April 24, 2026 / 7:59 PM EDT / CBS News

DOJ reinstates firing squads, pentobarbital for federal executions

TL;DR

  • The Justice Department is reimplementing lethal injection and firing squads for federal executions.
  • These measures aim to strengthen the federal death penalty, deter crime, and provide justice for victims.
  • This action reverses the moratorium on federal executions implemented by President Biden.
  • The department criticizes the Biden administration for weakening the death penalty.
  • The use of pentobarbital for executions is considered not a violation of the Eighth Amendment by the current Justice Department.