NEW VOICES: NJ Assemblyman Changes Position on Death Penalty — Legislator Also Lost A Family Member

State Assemblyman Nelson T. Albano of Cape May, New Jersey, announced at a forum on the death penal­ty that he has changed his mind and now oppos­es cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment. Albano said that his change of heart came after read­ing a book about Kirk Bloodsworth, the 1^st death-row inmate in the United States to be exon­er­at­ed by DNA evi­dence. The book led him to the insight into that the cap­i­tal-pun­ish­ment sys­tem is flawed and should be put on hold.

“I think we owe it to the peo­ple in our pris­ons who are inno­cent to stop exe­cut­ing,” he said.

Albano not­ed that his 19 year-old son was killed in 2001 by a drunk­en dri­ver who was a 5‑time repeat offend­er. He con­sid­ers his son’s killing an act of murder.

Nevertheless, he said a life sen­tence was more appro­pri­ate than the death penal­ty. ​“I know what it feels like to want revenge,” he said. ​“Let the guilty tru­ly suf­fer and live their lives without freedom.”

The state cur­rent­ly has a mora­to­ri­um on exe­cu­tions while a com­mis­sion is review­ing all aspects of the death penal­ty sys­tem.
(Atlantic City Press, Sept. 19, 2006). See New Voices and Victims.