States get new leeway to tally prisoners in census

[cory777]

Source: AP

By HOPE YEN, Associated Press Writer Hope Yen, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 1 min ago

WASHINGTON – States are getting new leeway in tallying their prisoners in the 2010 census — a move that could reshape the political map, increasing urban population numbers while reducing the figures for rural voting districts where inmates are incarcerated.

The Census Bureau said this week it would release data on prison populations to states when they redraw legislative boundaries next year.

Previously, the agency provided the breakdowns on group quarters, like prisons, after states finished their high-stakes redistricting. That resulted in districts with prisons getting extra representation in their legislatures, despite laws in some states that say a prison cell is not a residence.

Now that the prison data is being made available earlier, states can decide whether they want to count inmates for purposes of redistricting and, if so, where they should be considered residents — in rural towns, where prisons are often built, or cities, where many prisoners came from.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100211/ap_on_go_ot/us_census_prisons;_ylt=Am.0IMErO0hyEg6tY6Fml1Gs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNtYjFxYTBuBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwMjExL3VzX2NlbnN1c19wcmlzb25zBGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDMTAEcG9zAzcEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl9oZWFkbGluZ

[bluestateguy]

1. Texas ought to love that

nt

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Get a ticket for this fight.

[Downwinder]

3. Does this mean that prisoners are persons?

Are they going to count Corporations too?

[davepc]

4. Why not just count each one as 3/5 a person. Precedent for that!

*sarcasm*

[krkaufman]

5. Yes, let's include them for redistricting ...

... but make sure they can't vote while incarcerated. That won't create an incentive for growing the prison population.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Not good news for Democrats

This will increase the population in rural areas where they vote red.

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. Now whose idea was that, who is behind it, I wonder?