Fixing prison-based gerrymandering after the 2010 Census: United States

50 State Guide, March 2010

Sections
Impact at the state level
Impact at the local level
United States law says a prison cell is not a residence
Pending legislation
Other solutions
Additional resources

Prison-based gerrymandering violates the constitutional principle of "One Person, One Vote." The Supreme Court requires districts to be based on equal population in order to give each resident the same access to government. But a longstanding flaw in the Census counts incarcerated people as residents of the prison location, even though they can’t vote and aren’t a part of the surrounding community.

When legislators claim people incarcerated in their districts are legitimate constituents, they award people who live close to the prison more of a say in government than everybody else.

Impact at the state level:

Impact at the local level:

United States law says a prison cell is not a residence:

Pending legislation (as of March 2010):

Other solutions:

  • Ideally, the U.S. Census Bureau would change where it counts incarcerated people. They should be counted as residents of their home — not prison — addresses. There is no time for that in 2010, but United States should ask the Census Bureau for this change for 2020.

Additional resources:



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