The Death Penalty in Kansas

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Recommended: A research proposal on the abolishment of the death penalty

The death penalty can be an extremely touchy subject in every community on the emotional side as well as the political side. The family of a child who has been raped and murdered by the old creepy guy down the block would love to see that man receive the final sentence of death. On the other hand, the taxpayers do not want to pay large amounts of taxes in order to execute an inmate. Due to the large amounts of appeals that are involved in death penalty cases, a lot of spending occurs in order to make sure that the decision is one-hundred percent correct. While tensions continue to build on whether or not we should abolish the death penalty at the federal as well as state level, the formation of various organizations for and against the death sentence have sprouted up all across the land. With all of this being considered, I will discuss the history of the death penalty in the state of Kansas, and some of our most famous cases. In doing so, I will show how the state and the federal government have constantly struggled to come up with a reasonable solution for an extremely controversial issue. Furthermore, I will discuss the cost of the death penalty in the state and how those costs are affecting our next generation of leaders.

On a fall night in 1906 Kansas Governor Edward Hotch sent a letter to Governor Fletcher D. Procter of Vermont in order to show his opposition for capital punishment. In the letter the governor says that the state allows for the death penalty, but leaves the final decision up to the governor if the inmate has been incarcerated for at least one year. The following is a quote from the Governor’s letter: “I can understand how those who believe that death ends all can take a life by legal process, but ho...

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...usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/bldeathpenalty.htm>.

"A Solemn Anniversary | Kansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty." You Can Help in the Effort to Abolish the Death Penalty in Kansas. | Kansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. .

"Sources and Additional Information." Death Penalty Information Center. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. .

"Summary of the Kansas Death Penalty Cost Report by DPIC." Death Penalty Information Center. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. .

“The Effect of Education on Crime: Evidence from Prison Inmates, Arrests, and Self-Reports.” UC Los Angeles: Lochner, Lance; & Moretti, Enrico. (2002). California Center for Population Research.

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