NCJ Number
242646
Date Published
2013
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This document from the Prison Policy Initiative is a primer for reporters on the subject of redistricting and prison-based gerrymandering.
Abstract
This primer from the Prison Policy Initiative examines the problem of redistricting and prison-based gerrymandering. Some congressional districts across the country contain large prisons that could affect redistricting efforts by local officials. The issue is whether or not elected officials in these areas should include prisoners in their population counts. The U.S. Census Bureau counts prisoners as residents of the prison location even though they can't vote and are not county residents. Local officials however, do not have to follow these rules. This primer examines the problem of prison-based gerrymandering which is the practice of counting incarcerated persons as "residents" of a prison when establishing the boundaries for legislative districts. This practice artificially inflates the population numbers of these areas, thus increasing their political clout while diluting the influence of political power to all other voters across the State. The primer provides information about the problem and presents a set of questions that reporters covering county or municipal redistricting in areas that contain prisons should ask of officials in these areas. List of resources