Statewide Coalition Kicks Off Campaign to End Prison-Based Gerrymandering

by Demos, January 27, 2010

Senator Eric T. Schneiderman Will Introduce Bill to Change How New York Uses Census Prisoner Counts

New York, NY–Community groups and advocates from across New York will rally on the steps of City Hall Thursday in support of new legislation to end the undemocratic system of prison-based gerrymandering. Supporters will be joined by Senator Schneiderman to seek an amendment to the State Election Law regarding how incarcerated individuals are counted for the purposes of legislative districting.

This is a critical step in a major statewide effort to pass legislation that will count prisoners as residents of their home counties, rather than as residents of the counties in which they are incarcerated. The current system for counting people in prison drastically inflates populations in some communities, while diluting the political representation of the home communities and violating the democratic principle of “one person, one vote.”

Restoring the democratic right of representation to all New York communities is especially urgent now that the 2010 Census is underway and new legislative districts will be drawn in 2012.

WHO: Community groups and advocates, Senator Eric T. Schneiderman, Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries and Elected Officials; Steven Carbo from leading coalition member Demos, a national policy center, will moderate.

WHEN: Thursday, January 28, 2010 – 10:00am

WHERE: New York City Hall – Steps