Anthony Nolan

Bill SB753 seeks to change how inmates are counted

Here's what prison gerrymandering does:

It distorts an accurate picture of the population by counting incarcerated individuals in the town where they are imprisoned instead of where they are from. If large groups of people are counted in this manner, government representation can favor one town over another.

SB 753 would count incarcerated people as residents of their home town or last residence prior to imprisonment. After all, most people return to their homes after serving time. This is why I am a co-sponsor of the legislation and will work to get the bill passed.

Home communities of incarcerated people (2010 DOC data) Courtesy, CT Mirror

A recent opinion piece in the New York Times says that based on 2010 census data, nine of the 151 state House districts in Connecticut meet the minimum population requirement only because of the prison/prisons located in their towns. Eight of those districts are predominantly white communities. William S. Cooper, who The Times refers to as a redistricting expert, has written that 22 districts would have to be redrawn if Connecticut stopped counting prisoners where they are serving time.   Ten states ban prison gerrymandering. It's time for Connecticut to do the same.