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
Can you help us continue the fight? Thank you.
—Peter Wagner, Executive DirectorDonate
Importing Constituents: Prisoners and Political Clout in Illinois
By Brett Blank and Peter Wagner
February 1, 2010
- Report
- Press release
- Appendix A: Incarcerated populations in Illinois House districts
- Appendix B: Incarcerated populations in Illinois Senate districts
- Appendix C: Incarcerated populations in Illinois county board districts
- Appendix D: Incarcerated populations in Illinois counties
Additional resources:
- The Illinois resource page is an actively maintained list of links to fact sheets, news articles, endorsements, and other information on the current campaign for change in Illinois.
Recommended Reading:
About the Prison Policy Initiative
Learn more about the organization behind the Prison Gerrymandering Project.
The Racial Geography of Mass Incarceration
The transfer of Black and Latino incarcerated people to communities very different than their own is a nationwide problem.
Are legislative maps hurting prison reforms?
Pam Adams explains how in her downstate Illinois column.
Do prisons draw in Census money for their host communities? No.
We explain that prison gerrymandering is bad for democracy but federal & state aid are not impacted.