rom: "Jerry Depew" To: "POP.2020.Residence.Rule@census.gov" Cc: Subject: residents of prisons Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2015 08:03:23 -0500 The census claims to report where people reside but its definition of "reside" is amiss. It's inappropriate to say that a person held against his will resides in the jail. Such a claim has implications for elections. Iowa law creates election districts based on population. But if the population includes prisoners, they should not count as residents. They cannot vote. Anamosa, Iowa once found itself with an election district comprised of so many prisoner "residents" that practically no one in the district could vote. Yet they were supposed to elect a member of the city council. Anamosa had to eliminate districts altogether to get around this problem caused by the Census Bureau. My own state senate district is also home to a pair of state prisons. Why do those prisoners count as residents here when they cannot vote? With so many Americans in prison this can lead to a lot of distortion. Some changes should be made in this practice. Jerry Depew Laurens, IA