Prison Policy Initiative

Peter Wagner will discuss prison-based gerrymandering on a Race & Voting panel at the RebLaw Conference at Yale Law School in New Haven CT. Exact day/time TBA. Feb 17-18, 2012

Added Roanoke Times urges Virginia to "move in the right direction" towards ending prison-based gerrymandering to the Prisoners of the Census Blog.

New Roanoke Times (VA) editorial calls on the Virginia legislature to take a stand against prison-based gerrymandering by passing H.B. 13

Added LATFOR implements law ending prison-based gerrymandering to the Prisoners of the Census Blog.

New York task force has released population data to be used for state and local redistricting, which counts incarcerated people at their home addresses.

Added Interactive redistricting software adjusts Census data for New York to the Prisoners of the Census Blog.

Interactive redistricting tools use our analysis of Census data to adjust redistricting population in New York.

The Prison Policy Initiative factsheet database was updated with a link to Prison-Based Gerrymandering in City of Cranston, RI [PDF] by Prison Policy Initiative.

Added Local governments still struggling with Census' prison counts to the Prisoners of the Census Blog.

In redistricting, local governments struggle with Census treating prison populations as residents of the prison location.

Added Virginia counties may be given more choices in avoiding prison-based gerrymandering to the Prisoners of the Census Blog.

News and Advance reports more counties in Virginia will be given option to avoid prison-based gerrymandering if Delegate Ingram's bill passes.

Added Federal Judges uphold Maryland law ending prison-based gerrymandering to the Prisoners of the Census Blog.

One judge calls our amici brief "particularly impressive and persuasive".

Added New York Times: Prisons and Redistricting editorial celebrates victory of New York law to the Prisoners of the Census Blog.

The New York Times published a great editorial praising the New York Supreme Court's decision to uphold the law that ended prison-based gerrymandering.

Added Virginia bill would help counties avoid prison-based gerrymandering to the Prisoners of the Census Blog.

HB13 will give any county faced with drawing a district that would be more than 12% incarcerated the option of choosing to not include the prison populations when drawing the districts.

Added Baltimore Sun op-ed supports Maryland's No Representation Without Population act to the Prisoners of the Census Blog.

Baltimore Sun op-ed explains how Maryland's law ending prison-based gerrymandering protects minority voting power.

Added Will task force heed court prison-count ruling? to the Prisoners of the Census Blog.

Although everything is in order for the NY redistricting task force to follow the law ending prison-based gerrymandering, members are still digging in their heels. But for how long?

Executive Director Peter Wagner will be teaching Prison Industrial Complex Though Film during January term at Smith College. Registration for Smith students runs from Dec. 5 to Dec. 12. Jan 17-20, 2012

Peter Wagner will be speaking about prison-based gerrymandering at the A New Vision of Black Freedom: The Manning Marable Memorial Conference at Columbia Univ. in New York City. Exact day/time TBA. April 26-28, 2012

PPI supports a common-sense revision to the short-sighted Massachusetts school zone drug penalty law. This change would allow the law to more effectively protect children without disproportionately punishing urban communities.

Eric Weld has an article about Peter Wagner's course at Smith College: Interterm Course Focuses on U.S. Prison System in the Gate.

Peter Wagner is quoted in the Patriot Ledger regarding Mass.'s plan to bill prison inmates for room and board. Because most people in prison are poor, this counter-productive policy "is like spending money to squeeze blood from a stone."

Artist Paul Rucker's new installation, Proliferation, inspired by the map of U.S. Prison Proliferation, 1900-2000 by PPI's Rose Heyer was just reviewed in CityArts.

Added Most upstate counties with prisons agree: A prison cell is not a residence [PDF] to the New York organizing page.

We added links to recent radio interviews on WBAI, The Take Away and shows to our In the News page.