In recent years felon disenfranchisement has become a lively topic for civil rights and social justice activists. A related, lesser-noted phenomenon has been prison gerrymandering.
Under current procedures, the U.S. census attributes place of residence to the place where individuals live when the count is done. In most cases, this seems obvious. In the age of mass incarceration, however, large populations (usually people of color from urban areas) have been uprooted and relocated to rural jurisdictions. The New York Times noted one of the most grotesque examples of this phenomenon in Anamosa, Iowa, where a city council member was elected with precisely two votes. How? Because Iowa's largest penitentiary is located in his district.
In April, Maryland became the first state in the nation to enact legislation to make the census accurately reflect reality.
One down, 49 to go.
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