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Could How We Count Prison Inmates Affect Political Power? A Look At Prison Gerrymandering

Razor wire is seen on the Metropolitan Detention Center prison. (David McNew/Getty Images)
Razor wire is seen on the Metropolitan Detention Center prison. (David McNew/Getty Images)

The Supreme Court recently ruled on political gerrymandering, the practice of cutting up voting districts to benefit one party over another. But some are advocating for an end to another type of gerrymandering.

It’s called “prison gerrymandering,” where inmates are counted as living at the prison, instead of their home addresses. The result is an inflated constituent count in prison districts, while the communities where the prisoners lived end up under-represented.

Here & Now’s Robin Young talks to Aleks Kajstura (@AleksKajstura), legal director at the Prison Policy Initiative about the practice, which some states have banned.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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