The Justice Department announced on Thursday that is it temporarily halting all federal executions to review the policies and procedures for capital punishment.

The story: Attorney General Merrick Garland told senior officials in a memo that the DOJ will stop scheduling federal executions, citing what he said were several points of concern regarding death penalty cases. Among other things, Garland cited its impact on people of color and its capricious application.

The memo: “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 humanly,” Garland said in a memo issued on Thursday. Read more from Resist Mainstream.