Reps. Sykes, Ross, Pocan, Cleaver Reintroduce Legislation to End Prison Gerrymandering

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representatives Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Mark Pocan (WI-02), and Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05) reintroduced the End Prison Gerrymandering Act. The legislation would help ensure equal representation for all Americans by requiring the U.S. Census Bureau to count incarcerated individuals at their last place of residence, rather than the prison where they are held at the time of the Census.

Currently, incarcerated people are counted as residents of correctional facilities, often located in rural areas, rather than the communities where they lived, worked, and maintained family ties prior to incarceration. This practice, known as prison gerrymandering, distorts population counts and gives disproportionate political power to some districts at the expense of urban communities and communities of color.

"All Americans have a constitutional right to equal representation in their government. That's why I am proud to co-sponsor the End Prison Gerrymandering Act, which will ensure incarcerated people are fairly counted in the places they call home, in communities where they have ties, family, and friends," said Rep. Sykes. "This legislation will allow fair and accurate representation for all communities-rural, urban, and suburban- to create a stronger, more representative democracy."

"North Carolina has a long history of manipulating voters' places of residence to produce maps that benefit the party in power, including through prison gerrymandering," said Rep. Ross. "Across the country, we are witnessing unprecedented attempts to rollback voting rights and dilute voters' voices, particularly voters of color. Now more than ever, we need maps that are fair and ensure every voter can participate fully in our democracy. I'm proud to lead my colleagues in introducing legislation that will end prison gerrymandering at the federal level."

"Nearly no one would consider the facility in which they're incarcerated home," said Rep. Pocan. "The current Prison Gerrymandering practice is wrong, giving undue power to certain regions of the country and to elected officials who do not value their concerns. We must end this practice and count people from where they came and most likely will return to once their sentences are finished. I thank Congresswoman Ross for her leadership on this issue."

"The practice of prison gerrymandering puts the interests of partisan politicians above the wishes of our communities, using incarcerated Americans as unwilling pawns in the process," said Rep. Cleaver. "The American people are sick and tired of partisan trickery that undermines the voice of voters, and I'm proud to join Representatives Ross, Sykes, and Pocan to introduce the End Prison Gerrymandering Act to outlaw this damaging practice once and for all."

Bill text is available here.