When New Jersey enacted its death penalty law in 1982, it established a special unit of lawyers and experts for defendants facing capital charges. After two decades, the state has 14 individuals on death row. In contrast, when Pennsylvania enacted its death penalty law, the state failed to establish a similar system for assistance. For Pennsylvania, a state of comparable population to New Jersey, the result of this decision has been a death row population of 237 and a capital punishment system that is plagued by evidence of inadequate representation. The systemic flaws and sentence reversals led the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to appoint a committee to examine the problem. (Philadelphia Inquirer, October 6, 2003). See DPIC’s report With Justice for Few: The Growing Crisis in Death Penalty Representation.