News Roundup
by Peter Wagner, December 28, 2009
A number of new articles and resources about prison-based gerrymandering were posted over the long holiday weekend.
The Brennan Center’s Justin Levitt gave a speech to the International Municipal Lawyers’ Association in Columbia, SC on alternative voting systems and the count of incarcerated persons in redistricting. The text of Justin Levitt’s talk is on the Brennan Center website.
New York City Council update:
On Monday, December 21, the New York City Council voted to endorse S1633/A5946 which would require New YOrk State and its counties to draw fair districts based on data that counts incarcerated people at their home addresses as required by the New York State Constitution.
Coverage includes:
- WBAI evening news, Interview with Peter Wagner, December 23, 2009 (Scroll down to Wednesday December 23, 2009 11:00pm, press play, and then jump forwards 11 minutes and 45 seconds.)
- Prisoners Should Not Be Counted As Residents In Districts Where Prisons Are Located, According To New York City Council Resolution, Demos press release, December 21, 2009
- Forman ‘El Caucus del Norte de Manhattan’ by Cándida Portugués, El Diario, December 26, 2009
Black leaders press conference update:
On December 16, Black leaders held a press conference in Washington D.C. to call for the Census Bureau to change how incarcerated people are counted. Coverage continued of this important event continued to spread. Some samples include:
-
Morial, Civil Rights Activists Lobby for Accurate Census Count
by Shantella Sherman, Washington Informer
December 23, 2009 -
Problems face accurate Census count of minorities, prisoners
by Emily Mullin, Scripps Howard News Service, December 22, 2009 -
It is Literally Time to Stand and be Counted by Rev. Al Sharpton, Black Voice News, December 24, 2009
