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Delaware
The U.S. Census Bureau counts incarcerated people where they are confined not where they are from. Using these counts to draw state and county legislative districts enhances the weight of a vote cast by people who live near prisons at the expense of everyone else in the state or county.
Legislation passed!
- House Bill 384 (sponsored by Representative Keeley, additional sponsors Representatives J. Johnson and D.P. Williams, and Senator Henry, and co-sponsored by Representatives Barbieri, Brady, Hudson, Mitchell and Senators Marshall and McDowell), was unanimously passed by the House on June 1, 2010 and with bipartisan support in the Senate on June 30, 2010. Governor Jack Markell signed the bill into law on August 31, 2010. The law will count incarcerated people at their home addresses for redistricting purposes in Delaware.
- Press release from the Prison Policy Initiative and Demos upon the bill's passage in the Senate
- Press release from the Delaware House of Representatives House Majority Caucus upon the Governor signing the bill into law.
Delaware leaders
It’s impossible to include everyone who is worked toward fair districting in Delaware, but if you are looking to get involved, these are some of the people and organizations you might want to contact:
- Sandy Spence, League of Women Voters of Delaware
Fact sheets
- How House Bill 384 Will End Prison-Based Gerrymandering in Delaware [PDF] by Prison Policy Initiative
- States are authorized to adjust census data to end prison-based gerrymandering, and many already do [PDF] by Prison Policy Initiative and Demos.
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Meet us
- February 23, 2012: Peter Wagner will speak about disproportionate incarceration and sentencing enhancement zones at the Springfield, Mass. Community Forum Against Three Strikes at the Rebecca Johnson School, 6pm.
- April 26-28, 2012: Peter Wagner will be speaking about prison-based gerrymandering at the A New Vision of Black Freedom: The Manning Marable Memorial Conference at Columbia Univ. in New York City. Exact day/time TBA.
Not near you? Invite Peter to your town.
