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

Colorado has enacted legislation to end prison gerrymandering. It is one of ten states that will count incarcerated people at home for redistricting purposes in the 2020 redistricting cycle.

Colorado - Campaign Archive

Sections
Legislation
Organizations in Colorado
Select Testimony
More information

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

Legislation

Current Session — ending prison gerrymandering in state legislative districts:

  • HB 20-1010, "Colorado Accurate Residence for Redistricting Act", sponsored by Rep. K. Tipper and Rep. J. Coleman, filed on January 8, 2020. Passed the House on February 6, 2020 and the Senate on February 25, 2020; and was signed into law by Governor Polis on March 20, 2020.

Past Sessions — ending prison gerrymandering in local governments:

  • Senate Bill 02-007 Concerning County Commissioner Redistricting, sponsored by Senator Hillman, and Representatives Kester, Garcia, and Hoppe, and approved by the Governor on March 27, 2002, prohibits counties from using prison populations when drawing county commissioner districts.
  • House Bill 04-1230, Concerning the Election of School District Directors from Director Districts, sponsored by representatives Hall, May M., Crane, Fairbank, Lundberg, Mitchell, Rose, Williams S., Williams T., Cadman, Garcia, Hefley, Lee, and Vigil and Senator Jones, and approved by the Governor on April 21, 2004, prohibits school districts from using prison populations when drawing school director districts.
  • Additionally, Colorado municipalities avoid prison gerrymandering on their own despite lacking a direct statutory directive to do so. For example, the cities of Brighton, Cañon, Centennial, Golden, and Sterling all would have had significant prison gerrymandering in their city council districts if they had not adjusted their redistricting data.

Organizations in Colorado

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

Select Testimony

Before Colorado's Independent Congressional & Legislative Redistricting Commissions

Before the Senate Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs on February 19, 2020

More information



Stay Informed


Get the latest updates:



Share on 𝕏 Donate