Issues in Prison-Based Gerrymandering

Podcast Description

The Census Bureau counts people in prison as if they were actual residents of their prison cells, even though most state laws say that people in prison are residents of their homes. When prison counts are used to pad legislative districts, the weight of a vote starts to differ. If you live next to a large prison, your vote is worth more than one cast in districts without prisons. Prison-based gerrymandering distorts state legislative districts, and has been known to create county legislative districts that contain more prisoners than voters. On each episode we’ll talk with different voting rights experts about ways in which state and local governments can change the Census and avoid prison-based gerrymandering.