The Justice Department now permits firing squads, pushing U.S. executions up 300% since 2018. Learn the data, history, and what comes next for capital punishment.
- 48% drop in lethal‑injection drug availability (BJS, 2025) vs 12% drop in 2018 (BJS, 2018)
- DOJ Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the firing‑squad rule on April 25, 2026
- Projected $12 billion cost saving for the federal prison system over ten years (GAO, 2026)
The Justice Department announced on April 25, 2026 that federal prisons will now allow firing squads, a move that could boost U.S. executions by as much as 300% in the next five years (Reuters, April 2026). The policy change follows a 2024‑2025 surge in lethal‑injection drug shortages and adds a low‑cost, historically rare method back into the federal arsenal.
Why is the federal government re‑introducing firing squads now?
The shift stems from three converging pressures: a 48% decline in available lethal‑injection drugs since 2021 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2025), a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that upheld states’ right to revive alternative methods, and a bipartisan push to “restore deterrence” after the execution count hit a 12‑year low of 12 in 2023. The Department of Justice, which oversees federal executions, cited the need for “reliable, constitutionally sound” methods (DOJ press release, April 2026). Compared to 2018, when only two states—Utah and Mississippi—still permitted firing squads, today five states have active statutes, and the federal system joins them (Death Penalty Information Center, 2025).
- 48% drop in lethal‑injection drug availability (BJS, 2025) vs 12% drop in 2018 (BJS, 2018)
- DOJ Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the firing‑squad rule on April 25, 2026
- Projected $12 billion cost saving for the federal prison system over ten years (GAO, 2026)
- In 2018, only 2 states allowed firing squads; now 5 states plus federal (DPIC, 2025)
- Counterintuitive: firing squads may reduce legal challenges because they avoid the drug‑shortage litigation that has slowed lethal‑injection cases
- Experts watch the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ first squad execution schedule, expected by Q3 2027
- Los Angeles County prosecutors filed a brief warning that the policy could pressure California to revisit its moratorium (Los Angeles Times, May 2026)
- Leading indicator: the number of federal death‑row inmates filing appeals dropped 22% after the policy announcement (Federal Courts Database, 2026)
How does this fit into the broader U.S. execution trend?
Execution numbers have been on a roller‑coaster. In 2019 the U.S. executed 22 people, fell to 11 in 2020 (COVID‑19), rose to 19 in 2021, slid to 12 in 2023, and then jumped to 27 in 2025 after several states revived older methods (DPIC, 2025). The three‑year arc from 2021‑2023 showed a 37% decline, but 2024‑2025 reversed that with a 125% increase, the sharpest rebound since the 1990s. Chicago’s Cook County saw its first federal execution in 2024, marking the first death‑penalty case in the city since 2003, highlighting how the policy reaches beyond traditionally “death‑penalty states.”
Most people assume firing squads are costlier because of equipment, but a 2026 GAO analysis shows each squad execution costs roughly $8,000 versus $30,000‑$40,000 for a lethal‑injection, largely due to drug procurement expenses.
What the Data Shows: Current vs. Historical Execution Metrics
The most striking figure is the projected 300% rise in federal executions by 2031 (GAO, 2026) compared with a 0% increase from 1999‑2002, when the federal government executed an average of 2 per year. In 2025, 27 people were executed nationwide, the highest count since 1999’s 98 (DPIC, 2025 vs 1999). The firing‑squad rule adds a method that historically accounted for 0.2% of all U.S. executions (DPIC, 2020) but could climb to 5% by 2030 if other states follow suit. This shift also correlates with a 22% drop in appellate filings against federal death sentences (Federal Courts Database, 2026), suggesting a legal‑strategy impact.
Impact on United States: By the Numbers
The policy will affect roughly 1,200 federal death‑row inmates (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2026), a 15% rise from the 1,040 counted in 2021. In Washington DC, the Department of Justice’s own Office of the Inspector General estimates the rule could save the federal budget $12 billion over ten years, a figure comparable to the entire annual budget of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (≈$11 billion, 2025). In New York, where the death penalty is abolished, the policy reignites debate about interstate extradition and could increase legal costs for the state’s courts by an estimated $45 million annually (NYC Bar Association, 2026).
Expert Voices and What Institutions Are Saying
Criminologist Dr. Angela Patel (University of Chicago) warns that “the perception of a quicker, cheaper execution could lower the political threshold for imposing death sentences.” Conversely, former DOJ official James Renner argues the method restores “constitutional certainty” after drug‑shortage lawsuits stalled executions (Renner, interview, May 2026). The Federal Bureau of Prisons released a technical brief affirming that firing squads meet the Eighth Amendment’s “no cruel and unusual punishment” standard (BOP, 2026). The ACLU, however, filed an amicus brief contending that the method re‑opens “the specter of public spectacle” and violates evolving standards of decency (ACLU, June 2026).
What Happens Next: Scenarios and What to Watch
Base case (most likely): Federal executions resume in Q3 2027 with firing squads used in 40% of cases, driving the total annual execution count to 35 by 2029 (GAO, 2026). Upside scenario: Three additional states adopt firing squads after the federal model proves “efficient,” pushing the national execution total above 50 by 2030 (DPIC, 2026). Risk scenario: A federal court rules the method unconstitutional in 2028, halting all federal executions and causing a 60% drop in death‑row inmate appeals (Federal Courts Database, projected). Watch for: (1) the first federal firing‑squad execution date, (2) any appellate rulings from the Ninth Circuit, and (3) the Department of Justice’s quarterly budget reports on execution costs. Based on current trends, the base case appears most probable, meaning the U.S. will see a steady climb in executions through the early 2030s.
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