Polk County, Texas
According to the 2000 Census, Polk County, Texas has a population of 41,133 people. Of those, 32,760 (80%) are White, 5,416 (13%) are Black, and 3,861 (9%) are Latino[1]. However, 2,996 (or 7% of the 41,133 people) are not residents by choice but are people in prison.
Even though prisoners cannot participate in the local community, the Census Bureau nevertheless counts them as residents of the county where they are incarcerated.
A more accurate description would not include the prisoners. This would give Polk County a population of 38,137 with a demographic that is 83% White, 10% Black, and 8% Latino.
| Reported in Census 2000 |
Incarcerated population |
Actual population |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 41,133 | 2,996 | 38,137 |
| White | 32,760 | 1,281 | 31,479 |
| Black | 5,416 | 1,618 | 3,798 |
| Latino | 3,861 | 688 | 3,173 |
Notes:
[1]The numbers for Whites, Blacks and Latinos may not add up to the total number because we have not included racial groups other than Whites and Blacks and because the Census Bureau considers "Latino" to be an ethnicity, not a race. Most of the people reported as being Latino are also counted as being White or Black.
Recommended Reading:
About the Prison Policy Initiative
Learn more about the organization behind the Prison Gerrymandering Project.
The Racial Geography of Mass Incarceration
The transfer of Black and Latino incarcerated people to communities very different than their own is a nationwide problem.
Are legislative maps hurting prison reforms?
Pam Adams explains how in her downstate Illinois column.
Do prisons draw in Census money for their host communities? No.
We explain that prison gerrymandering is bad for democracy but federal & state aid are not impacted.