Importing Constituents: Prisoners and Political Clout in Oklahoma
Publication year:
2009
| Cataloged on:
Nov. 09, 2009
ANNOTATION: Problems inherent with the Census Bureau counting prisoners as residents of the surrounding community county in which they are incarcerated are explained. Sections of this document are: introduction; redistricting and "one person, one vote"—diluting votes in the State legislature and diluting votes on the local level; and recommendations—ask the Census Bureau to change where it counts people in prison, Oklahoma can adjust the U.S. Census’ count of prisoners prior to redistricting to count incarcerated people at home, Oklahoma can draw state and/or county districts without the prison populations, and Oklahoma should require counties to draw districts without regard to prison populations and provide them with technical resources to do so.