Ohio
The U.S. Census Bureau counts incarcerated people where they are confined not where they are from. Using these counts to draw state and local 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 city.
Leaders in Ohio
It's impossible to include everyone who is working toward ending prison gerrymandering in Ohio, but if you are looking to get involved, these are some of the people and organizations you might want to contact first:
- at the NAACP National Voter Fund
- at Ohio Voice
Greg Moore and Deidra Reese (center) leading a discussion about ending prison gerrymandering in Ohio on November 22, 2013.(Photo: Petee Talley)
Fact sheets
Prison Gerrymandering in Ohio, November 25, 2013
More Information
- Another Decade of Prison Gerrymandering in Ohio, October 3, 2013
- Fixing prison-based gerrymandering after the 2010 Census: Ohio, March 2010
- Report: Importing Constituents: Prisoners and Political Clout in Ohio
by Peter Wagner and Rose Heyer, July 6, 2004
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.
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.
Prison-based Gerrymandering in Anamosa, Iowa
How a prison helped one man get elected with just two votes.