Importing Constituents:
Prisoners and Political Clout in Wisconsin
By John Hejduk and Peter Wagner
Prison Policy Initiative
March 2008
Section:
| City Name | Ward | City Population in Census | Number of aldermanic wards | Ideal ward size | Facility Name | Prison population | Prison split in to how many pieces | Percent of ward's population that is in prison | Voting power inflation in the prison ward as a result of counting the prisoners as residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waupun City | 2 | 10,718 | 6 | 1,786 | Waupun Correctional Institution | 1,226 | n/a | 63% | 37 votes here = 100 elsewhere |
| Waupun City | 3 | 10,718 | 6 | 1,786 | Dodge Correctional Institution | 1,381 | n/a | 79% | 21 votes here = 100 elsewhere |
| Franklin City | 1 | 29,494 | 6 | 4,916 | Milwaukee County House of Corrections | 1,879 | n/a | 38% | 31 votes here = 50 elsewhere |
| Fitchburg City | 4 | 20,501 | 4 | 5,125 | Oakhill Correctional Institution & Oregon Correctional Center | 705 | n/a | 14% | 43 votes here = 50 elsewhere |
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.