Prison-policy study shows how inmate counts yield redistricting clout

[ccharles000]

What a thing to throw at a county administrator on his first week on the job: One of the Waseca County Board's districts is perhaps the worst example of local prison gerrymandering in Minnesota.

A Prison Policy Initiative study released today finds that Waseca County Board's District 5 gets 24 percent of its population from a federal prison housing 943 inmates. Even though prisoners can't vote, the result is that each group of 76 people in District 5 has "as much political clout as 100 people elsewhere," according to the study.

Todd Bodem, who became county administrator on March 3, said he needs time to research the issue before he can comment. I can't blame him. This is complex stuff for anyone who isn't obsessed with the 2010 census, redistricting, voting and constitutional law. I sent him my Feb. 25 story on the issue.

http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2010/03/09/16535/prison-policy_study_shows_how_inmate_counts_yield_redistricting_clout

[nemo137]

1. K&R This is important stuff that should have been addressed before this census.

[Gaedel]

2. Well.....

Back in 1970, when I was in the army, I noted that even though I voted in Michigan, I was counted in Virginia where I was stationed. I wrote my congressman about it and he agreed with me. He asked the census bureau about the issue and they replied that the primary purpose of the census was to determine where people were for the allocation of federal funding and the like and not to determine where voters were. As a result, any concentration of military personnel, college students, or prisoners will lead to apportionment unfairness as noted by the OP. Is it right? Maybe we should apportion politically based on the number of votes cast in the past five general elections rather than on the census. That would provide for a big GOTV effort by states and localities.