There have not been 10 or more federal executions in a year since 1896
Donald Trump is rushing to execute five inmates on death row before the end of his presidency.
An outgoing president has not ordered a federal execution during the transition to new leadership for 130 years.
Joe Biden intends to end use of the death penalty in the United States.
All five executions are scheduled to take place before president-elect Biden’s inauguration on January 20 and if they do take place, Trump will own the detestable mantel of most prolific presidential executioner in a century – racking up 13 kills since July.
40-year-old Brandon Bernard and 56-year-old Alfred Bourgeois are due to be executed this week in Indiana.
Brandon Bernard, a 40-year-old father is going to be executed tomorrow by our federal government. Having gotten to know Brandon, I am heartbroken about this execution. I’m calling on @realDonaldTrump to grant Brandon a commutation and allow him to live out his sentence in prison. https://t.co/soccUQFmac
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) December 9, 2020
The US’ supreme court reinstated the federal death penalty in 1988. Before Trump took office it had only been used three times and the last instance was in 2003.
These executions are different to those conducted at state level, where 22 death row inmates were killed last year.
Ngozi Ndulue, director of research at the Death Penalty Information Center, told the BBC: “This is really outside the norm, in a pretty extreme way.
“Public support for the death penalty is at a decades-long low.
“We’d have to go back to 1896 to find another year where there were 10 or more executions.
“One of the most robust findings of study after study, in jurisdictions across the country, is that the race of your victim is a serious factor in determining whether or not you will have the death penalty.”
