Righting the Wrongfully Convicted: How Kansas\u27s New Exoneree Compensation Statute Sets a Standard for the United States

(Excerpt) Part I of this Note will document the increasing prevalence of exonerations and provide a perspective on how significantly the landscape of postconviction justice has developed since the late 1980s. Such developments include DNA testing, greater awareness of false confessions, and a more thorough understanding of the unreliability of eyewitnesses. Part II will demonstrate the devastating impact that wrongful imprisonment has on exonerees. Finally, Part III of this Note will provide a snapshot of the current landscape of exoneree compensation laws. It will highlight the fact that many of the laws that exist do not provide sufficient resources and financial support for the postexoneration lives of the wrongfully convicted. Ultimately, this Note will offer a suggestion for the implementation of a nationwide standard that adequately and comprehensively provides for the reintegration of the wrongfully convicted back into society