Help End Prison Gerrymandering Prison gerrymandering funnels political power away from urban communities to legislators who have prisons in their (often white, rural) districts. More than two decades ago, the Prison Policy Initiative put numbers on the problem and sparked the movement to end prison gerrymandering.

Can you help us continue the fight? Thank you.

—Peter Wagner, Executive DirectorDonate

Pennsylvania

Sections: Organizations in Pennsylvania; More information; Press coverage

The U.S. Census Bureau counts incarcerated people where they are confined not where they are from. Using these counts to draw state and local legislative districts enhances the political clout of people who live near prisons at the expense of everyone else in the state or county.

Pennsylvania's redistricting commission took steps to address prison gerrymandering when it redrew state legislative lines after the 2020 Census, but it did not permanently solve the problem.

Organizations in Pennsylvania

It's impossible for us to include everyone who is working toward fair districting in Pennsylvania, but if you are looking to get involved, these are some of the people and organizations you might want to contact first:

Fair Districts PA

More Information

Legislation: including model legislation, current bills, and archive of past legislative efforts
Pathfinder: a guide to resources on prison gerrymandering
Fixing prison-based gerrymandering after the 2010 Census: Pennsylvania - background information on prison-based gerrymandering in Pennsylvania.
Importing Constituents: Prisoners and Political Clout in Pennsylvania, by Peter Wagner and Elena Lavarreda, June 26, 2009