Letter of Inquiry for Funders for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF YOUR ORGANIZATION?
The Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (KCADP) exists for the sole purpose of
ending the use of the death penalty in Kentucky.
WHAT ARE THE CHANGES YOU SEEK TO BRING ABOUT?
KCADP seeks to repeal the death penalty in Kentucky. On the road to repeal, KCADP has
worked for legislation to limit theits use with two notable successes: 1) legislation ending the
execution of mentally retarded persons (1990); and 2) legislation allowing the use of statistical
evidence to establish racial bias in prosecutorial decisions to seek death.
KCADP continues to pursue a strategy of chipping away at pieces of the death penalty Most
immediatelyCurrenthy, KCADP is working with the Kentucky Mental Health Association and
the National Alliance on Mental Illness — Kentucky on legislation precluding the use of the
death penalty for the severely mentally ill. KCADP is engaging in aggressive public education
while building its base of constituent support, as well as alliances such as that with the mental
health community so as to enhance our capacity to act decisively when the opportunity arises to
move moratorium or abolition legislation.
FOR WHAT WORK DO YOU SEEK FUNDING?
KCADP is seeking $15,000 to do in-depth polling of the opinions of Kentuckians about the
use of the death penalty. Since 1990 KCADP has benefitted from polling data garnered by both
the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky. Most recently, December 2006,
polling results reported that 67% of Kentuckians de-1et PREFERprefer a sentence other than
the death penalty for aggravated murder._We believe that we must continue to work with these
highly respected pollsters, but fund the work ourselves in order to be in a position to control the
questions and to target certain areas of the state more strategically.
HOW WILL THIS WORK BRING ABOUT THE CHANGES YOU SEEK?
KCADP will¥hegeatis+te work with researchers at the University of Louisville to design a
poll that measures Kentuckians’ opinions on the use of the death penalty, the desire for a
moratorium, the execution of the severely mentally ill, the costs of the death penalty, the risk of
executing the innocent, and other related issues, as well as a comparison of how opinions vary
by age, race, education and geography. We also plan to engage in some targeted polling
specific to the legislative districts of certain legislators.
In polling data gathered prior to passage of the legislation outlawing the execution of mentally
retarded persons, it helped KCADP to knewbe able to share with legislators the facts that with
85% of Kentuckians were opposed to the death penalty for mentally retarded persons, and that
opposition from constituents would be minimal. This allowed -and-legislators wextdto be less
fearful of voting for passage.
Letter of Inquiry for Funders for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
HEKCADP believes -the results of this poll will continue the trend, and if so we will be ina
position to use the results to generate earned media coverage as part of a broader campaign to
build upon then-news-accounts-willepert of e-waning support for the use of the death penalty.
KCADP ea#will use the fresh polling datais to fad-attract additional grasstop leaders.
persenswho may be more likely to speak up because they are comfortable expressing a majority
opinion. Results of this poll will add to the other educational elements in our strategy to move
the majority who prefer other sentences to call for a change in the state’s practices and laws.
WHAT IS YOUR TIMELINE FOR POLICY GOALS?
The bill to abolish the use of the death penalty for severely mentally ill persons was prefiled in
our General Assembly by Representative David Floyd on July 2, 2009 and KCADP believes it
could be considered and enacted by the General Assembly in its next regular session which
begins in January 2010.
KCADP has already begiuns its Next Big Step Campaign, a three-year project, with a fulltime
director of education and advocacy, an ongoing fundraising campaign for education, advocacy
and mobilization, a board that is fully committed financially and otherwise, a newly adopted
strategic plan and the benefits of know-how, energy and momentum.
WHAT ARE YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL NET ASSETS?
As of June 30, 2009 KCADP has net assets of $52,519
WHAT IS THE ORGANIZATION’S TOTAL BUDGET?
The total budget is $80,000 per year. That includes $1,200 for equipment, $67,000 for salaries/
benefits, $1,200 for telephone and $6,600 for travel. Office space is donated.
IF FUNDING IS FOR A PROJECT, WHAT IS THE PROJECT BUDGET?
The cost for the poll is $15,000.
HOW MUCH FUNDING IS BEING REQUESTED FROM FADP FUNDERS?
Of this amount KCADP already has already funded $2,000 and is asking for $13,000 from the
FADP funders.
WHEN DO YOU ANTICIPATE NEEDING THIS FUNDING?
To achieve the greatest effectiveness, poll results should be releasedavailable by mid-January
2010 when the Kentucky legislature will consider legislation regarading execution of the
severely mentally ill. As a result, the population sample should be polled in November 2009.
To meet this deadline, funding before September 30, 2009 would be ideal and before
November 30, 2009 would be vital in order to impact the 2010 legislature.
Finally, KCADP off idi +e-fund-th: He
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Letter of Inquiry for Funders for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
