The Philadelphia Inquirer Monica Yant Kinney column: N.J.'s death penalty: Costs a lot, never used.

Byline: Monica Yant Kinney, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Dec. 18--Only in New Jersey would we need to pass a law to stop doing something we don't do, yet spend a fortune not doing. It doesn't make sense. But here, little about the death penalty does. Unless you committed murder or lost a loved one to someone who did, you might not even know New Jersey has a death penalty. That's because the state hasn't executed anyone since 1963. Yet in the 23 years since the death penalty was reinstated by Gov. Tom Kean, New Jersey has spent $253 million not killing any bad guys. And even if one of the 10 men on death row today exhausted his appeals tomorrow, he's safe. …