The Attorney General's Role
The U.S. Attorney General, who leads the Department of Justice, has the authority to decide when a federal execution will take place. This is a major responsibility that only happens after a person has been sentenced to death through the federal court system and all their legal appeals have been finished. The Attorney General signs the execution order that allows the sentence to be carried out.
Legal Process Before Execution
Before the Attorney General can make a decision about execution, many legal steps must happen first. A person must be convicted of a federal crime that carries the death penalty, sentenced to death by a jury, and then go through appeals in higher courts. These appeals can take many years. Only when all legal challenges have been exhausted can the execution move forward.
Who Actually Performs the Execution
While the Attorney General decides whether an execution happens, the Federal Bureau of Prisons actually carries out the execution. The prison staff follow specific procedures and guidelines set by federal law. Currently, the federal government uses lethal injection as the method of execution.
Rarity of Federal Executions
Federal executions are very rare compared to state executions. The federal government only has the power to execute people for certain serious crimes, such as murder. Between 1988 and 2003, there were no federal executions. Federal executions have only been carried out a small number of times in recent decades. 
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