The Case of Cranston's Phantom Prison Constituents

The medium-sized city of Cranston, RI (motto: "We're on the Move!") might not seem the likeliest of places to ignite a debate over prison-based gerrymandering. But thanks to a new study, the city is helping reframe how people think about the issue.

Traditionally, the phenomenon of counting prisoners for districting purposes where they're confined — rather than in the predominately urban neighborhoods where they originate — has been thought to benefit those rural and suburban communities where prisons are generally located. Certainly such a practice boosts such populations' representation in state legislatures: in some counties, so-called prison constituents (who in most states can't even vote) comprise up to 20% of the population.

But a new Prison Policy Initiative study makes it clear that when you examine municipal districts as well, those benefits start to look a lot more lopsided. In Cranston, for example, residents' representation in City Council has become badly skewed as the result of prison-based gerrymandering. Each ward is supposed to contain 13,200 residents, but because part of Ward 6 is made up of 3,300 imprisoned people, all Ward 6 residents gain an extra political punch.

If none of this sounds fair, you're right. The good news is that increasingly, states and cities around the country are drawing the same conclusion.

Today, Mississippi, Colorado and New Jersey all require that counties with prisons ignore the prison population in their redistricting process. About 100 counties around the country also do the same. Meanwhile yesterday, Maryland became the first state in the nation to pass a law mandating that people in prison get counted where they actually live, not where they're incarcerated. (Similar bills are pending in Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.)

To get even a small purchase on why these reforms are so key, consider the fact that among all black men aged 20-34 nationwide, fully one in nine are incarcerated. Congratulations to Maryland for leading the way on prison redistricting. But it isn't just states that have to step up — it's counties and cities like Cranston, too.

Photo Credit: jimbowen0306