Prison Policy Initiative press releases
- Civil Rights Groups File Amicus Brief Countering Misinformation About Maryland’s “No Representation Without Population” Redistricting Law
The coalition amicus brief shows that Maryland's “No Representation Without Population” law is protective of minority voting rights.
December 5, 2011 - Albany Judge Upholds Law Ending Prison-Based Gerrymandering
New York Supreme Court Justice Eugene Devine today upheld New York's law ending prison-based gerrymandering in the Little v. LATFOR lawsuit.
December 2, 2011 - Civil Rights Groups Take Stand for Maryland’s “Prisoners of the Census” Redistricting Law
PPI and other civil rights groups announced that they will file an amicus brief to defend the “No Representation Without Population Act,” which ended prison-based gerrymandering in Maryland and is currently being challenged before a federal court in Fletcher v. Lamone.
November 18, 2011 - With Governor Brown’s signature, California becomes 4th state to outlaw prison-based gerrymandering
The non-profit non-partisan Prison Policy Initiative hails California Governor Brown for signing AB 420 in to law on Friday.
October 9, 2011 - ADVISORY: Tomorrow (10/4) Civil Rights Groups to Defend Law Ending Prison-Based Gerrymandering in NY Supreme Court Hearing
Attorneys for the fifteen voters from around New York State who have joined the legal defense of New York’s law ending prison-based gerrymandering will present oral arguments at a hearing in New York Supreme Court tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 4.
October 3, 2011 - Detailed demographics of correctional populations now available for nation
Database prepared by PPI for redistricting professionals provides detailed demographics for the correctional population, including race, age and gender.
September 13, 2011 - California Senate passes bill to end prison-based gerrymandering
Prison Policy Initiative and Demos applaud the California Senate for passing AB 420, a bill to end prison-based gerrymandering.
August 31, 2011 - Civil Rights Groups Answer Summary Judgment Motion in Prison-Based Gerrymandering Lawsuit
Attorneys for 15 NY voters filed papers today asking Judge Devine to grant motion for summary judgment and uphold law ending prison-based gerrymandering.
August 19, 2011 - Judge Allows Civil Rights Organizations Representing Voters to Defend Law Ending Prison-Based Gerrymandering
NY judge allows civil rights organizations representing 15 voters join the Attorney General in defending NY law ending prison-based gerrymandering.
August 11, 2011 - Civil Rights Organizations File Motion to Defend Law Ending Prison-Based Gerrymandering
Voters and Community groups intervene in suit to ensure that all New Yorkers are equally represented in state and local legislatures.
May 17, 2011 - Advocates Hail Census Bureau’s Release of Data to Assist in Correcting Prison-Based Gerrymandering
New Data Will Boost State and Local Efforts to Draw Fairer Districts.
April 20, 2011 - Court Should Reject Lawsuit Seeking to Manipulate Prison Populations in New York Redistricting
Press Release: Court Should Reject Lawsuit - Voting Rights Groups Support Improved Rules for Counting Incarcerated Persons.
April 6, 2011 - Coalition Praises Lawmakers for Ending Prison Gerrymandering
New York's Coalition to End Prison-Based Gerrymandering praises lawmakers for ending prison-based gerrymandering in New York.
August 4, 2010 - New York to correct miscount of incarcerated people
New law caps decade-long effort to improve fairness and accuracy of data used for state and local redistricting.
August 3, 2010 - New York's Coalition to End Prison-Based Gerrymandering praises lawmakers for ending prison-based gerrymandering in New York
Coalition Praises Lawmakers for Ending Prison Gerrymandering: Budget Action Will Bring Greater Fairness to Drawing Lines for Legislative Districts.
August 3, 2010 - Delaware Passes Law to Count Incarcerated Persons at their Home Addresses for Redistricting
Becomes Second State To Adopt Reform Ensuring Fairness and Accuracy of Redistricting.
July 7, 2010 - Claiming prisoners as Cranston constituents has a downside for Rhode Island city’s voting rights
The residents of Cranston who don't live next to the state's prison complex have their votes diluted in the city council, charges a new report.
April 13, 2010 - Maryland enacts law to count incarcerated people at their home addresses
First-in-nation law will improve fairness and accuracy of the Census data used for redistricting.
April 13, 2010 - Representatives Lawlor and Holder-Winfield announce legislation to end prison-based gerrymandering
Press release for report and event at Yale Law School.
March 31, 2010 - Census Bureau counts Minnesota’s incarcerated population in the wrong place; access to democracy distorted
New report identifies harm of prison-based gerrymandering in Minnesota, praises Pine County for fixing census flaw.
March 9, 2010 - Advocates Commend Census Bureau for Enhancing States’ Access to Data on Prison Populations in 2010 Census
Census Bureau commits to a new data product that will enable states and counties to avoid prison-based gerrymandering.
February 10, 2010 - Report on prison-based gerrymandering in Illinois released
A new report on prison-based gerrymandering in Illinois examines how the Census Bureau's prison miscount harms democracy in the state and county government.
February 2, 2010 - Census Bureau counts Massachusetts prisoners in wrong place; access to democracy distorted
Report finds that crediting prisoners to the prison towns leads to unequal distributions of political power within Massachusetts.
October 8, 2009 - Census Bureau counts Oklahoma prisoners in wrong place; Access to state and county government distorted
Report finds 7 Okla. House districts meet federal minimum population requirements only because prison inmates are used to pad the districts' populations.
September 25, 2009 - Census Bureau policy costs urban Pennsylvania political clout in legislature
Report finds that crediting prisoners to the location of the prison leads to unequal distribution of political power within Pennsylvania.
June 26, 2009 - Report says sentencing enhancement zones fail to protect children, increase racial disparities in incarceration
Report finds Mass. law requiring mandatory sentence of at least two years for certain drug offenses committed within 1,000 feet of schools is backfiring.
July 26, 2008 - Census Bureau counts Wisconsin prisoners in wrong place; access to state and county government distorted
Excerpt.
March 1, 2008 - Prisoners in the Census skew county government in Tennessee
Report finds that crediting prisoners to the location of the prison leads to unequal distribution of political power within Tennessee county governments.
February 20, 2008 - Census Bureau glitch skews School Board; Dilutes votes in 5 of 6 Regional School Unit #13 towns
The new RSU 13 School District gives one of its six towns disproportionate influence because the town used to contain the Maine State Prison.
January 20, 2008 - International Committee Urged to Scrutinize U.S. Census Practices That Dilute Vote of Minority Populations
Census Bureau’s counting of prisoners in their districts of incarceration rather than their home districts leads to violation of international treaty.
December 13, 2007 - Senator Schneiderman, the Prison Policy Initiative and Other Elected Officials and Advocates Call on Census to Count Prisoners in Their Home Communities
Senator Schneiderman and other elected officials announce national letter-writing campaign to urge Census Bureau policy change on prison population count.
October 18, 2007 - Prisoners in the Census skew county government in New York
Report explains that New York counties violate state constitution by relying on Census data that counts prisoners as residents of the prison location.
July 18, 2007 - New article from Northwestern University Law School demonstrates viability of state-based solution to federal failures in decennial census
Census miscount of prisoners skews legislative power across nation, but states can adjust Census data to use actual resident populations in redistricting.
January 3, 2007 - National Academies report calls for Census Bureau to collect alternative addresses for people in prison
National Academies releases report calling for the Census Bureau to begin collecting the home addresses of incarcerated people.
September 14, 2006 - Better Ballots: 2006 New York Voter Education Guide Launched
Voter guide informs New York voters to increase civic participation, especially in communities disproportionately impacted by the criminal justice system.
August 10, 2006 - America's prison explosion exhibited at international map exhibition
New map showing prison expansion across the United States over the previous century is exhibited at international map exhibition in A Coruña Spain.
July 14, 2005 - Census treatment of incarcerated felons unfairly dilutes voting strength of non-prison communities
Second Circuit US Court of Appeals hears arguments in 2 cases alleging New York's felon disenfranchisement laws violate Voting Rights Act and Constitution.
June 22, 2005 - Federal appeals court urged to consider census-based dilution of minority voting strength when weighing legality of prisoner disenfranchisement scheme
Amicus brief highlights New York's redistricting practice of crediting some locations with additional population based on disenfranchised prisoners.
February 2, 2005 - Census Bureau's method of counting prisoners steals political clout from Las Vegas and Reno
Report finds that crediting prisoners to the location of the prison leads to unequal distribution of political power within Nevada.
December 15, 2004 - Census Bureau policy costs Montana's cities population, legislative clout
Report finds that crediting prisoners to the location of the prison leads to unequal distribution of political power within Montana.
December 14, 2004 - Census Bureau policy costs Texas' cities population, legislative clout
Report finds that crediting prisoners to the location of the prison leads to unequal distribution of political power within Texas.
November 8, 2004 - Report highlights racially disparate impact of barring Massachusetts prisoners from voting
The report shows that Blacks are disenfranchised in Massachusetts at a rate 6 times higher than for Whites.
October 31, 2004 - Students have right to vote in local elections; New report studies impact of New York students in the Census and redistricting
Report finds students should be allowed to vote in local elections because these communities owe their political clout to students' presence in Census data.
October 6, 2004 - Census Bureau Policy Costs Ohio's Cities Population; Urban Residents Lose Political Clout in Legislature
Report finds that crediting prisoners to the location of the prison leads to unequal distribution of political power within Ohio.
July 6, 2004 - New study says how the Census counts prisoners frustrates accurate use of data
First national analysis of how Census counts of incarcerated people distorts Census data, includes county population size, growth, race, ethnicity, gender and income.
April 13, 2004 - Prisoner census counts skew population and political representation: Impact on communities to be examined at Census Bureau symposium
Attendees of the Census Bureau Symposium to be addressed on how Census counts of prisoners impact legislative redistricting.
February 28, 2004 - Study Says Prison Populations Skew New York Districts;
City loses, rural legislators gain, from new districts
A Prison Policy Initiative report finds that the proposed New York State legislative districts are based on miscounting urban prisoners as rural residents.
April 22, 2002