By: Alyssa Wilson

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a moratorium on federal executions. This is a shift from the rulings under the Trump administration which resumed the use of the death penalty in federal cases, The Hill reported.  

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In a memo released Thursday, Garland said, “The Department of Justice must ensure that everyone in the federal criminal justice system is not only afforded the rights guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States but is also treated fairly and humanely. That obligation has special force in capital cases.” 

Under former President Donald Trump, the federal government carried out the first federal executions in two decades. There were 13 executions carried out under his presidency, including Lisa Montgomery, who was the first woman put to death in nearly 70 years.  

RELATED: Big challenge: Biden is pressed to end federal death penalty 

Data collected by the Death Penalty Information Center reveals that nearly 70% of the exonerations involved misconduct by police, prosecutors, or other government officials, while 80% of wrongful capital convictions involved some combination of misconduct or false accusation. 

If you or someone you know is struggling from trauma triggered by this story, resources are available here.