by Peter Wagner, June 27, 2009
Amaris Elliott-Engel writes an excellent story Report: Census Prisoner Count Dilutes Urban Political Clout in the The Legal Intelligencer about our new report on prison-based gerrymandering in Pennsylvania.
by Peter Wagner, June 27, 2009
We just released our newest report on the Census Bureau’s prison count and prison-based gerrymandering:
Importing Constituents: Prisoners and Political Clout in Pennsylvania
by Peter Wagner, June 26, 2009
We’ve released a report calling for Pennsylvania to reject the Census Bureau’s flawed prison counts and to end prison-based gerrymandering: Importing Constituents: Prisoners and Political Clout in Pennsylvania.
by Peter Wagner, June 12, 2009
The Prison Policy Initiative and Demos have written to the Maine Department of Education Commissioner asking her to declare a school board apportionment based on prison populations in violation of the principles of one person one vote. [PDF]
by Peter Wagner, April 27, 2009
MichaelMoore.com, AllGov.com, the Daily Yonder, and The Rural Blog have all been inspired by the Washington Post article to write about our work fighting prison-based gerrymandering.
by Peter Wagner, April 26, 2009
Keith Richburg covers our work exposing prison-based gerrymandering in the Washington Post: Before Census, a Debate Over Prisoners.
by Peter Wagner, March 20, 2009
Brian Stimson of The Skanner writes about Oregon Rep. Chip Shield’s bill to fix the flawed Census counts of prisoners in Prison Communities: Representation is Not Created Equal: Bill would end gerrymandering in sparsely populated communities
by Peter Wagner, March 12, 2009
I wrote this op-ed for the Valley Advocate on March 12, 2009.
One out of every three Massachusetts school zone convictions is in Hampden County [see “Urban Penalty,” Feb. 26, 2009]. The law requires judges to give a mandatory two-year sentence to anyone convicted of certain drug offenses within 1,000 feet of a school. The one-size-fits-all law prohibits judges from giving more appropriate sentences to minor offenders who pose no risk to children. The state can ill afford a law that disproportionately incarcerates Black and Latino minor drug offenders for long sentences without affording children any extra protection.
The state legislature is considering reforming the school zone law, but Hampden County District Attorney Bill Bennett can take action today. The law gives prosecutors the discretion to look at the facts and decide whether or not an enhanced penalty is appropriate. Hampden County seeks the school zone sentencing enhancement in all cases where it could apply. Justice would be better served if District Attorney Bennett brought his prosecutions in line with the rest of the state. Hampden County is only a small part of the state and should not be taking up such a large portion of the state’s prison and jail cells.
Peter Wagner
Executive Director, Prison Policy Initiative
by Peter Wagner, March 11, 2009
The Valley Advocate prints Executive Director Peter Wagner’s letter to the editor pointing out that 1 out of every 3 school zone convictions in Massachusetts come from Hampden County. The legislature is considering reform, but District Attorney Bennett can take positive action today, simply by bringing his prosecutions in line with the rest of the state.
by Peter Wagner, February 26, 2009
Andrew Beveridge includes the Census Bureau’s prison miscount on his list of big issues for the 2010 Census and cites our advocacy in his article New York and the Fight Over the 2010 Census in the Gotham Gazette.
All of our recent reports about prison/jail growth, racial disparities, and more, re-organized by state.
It can strengthen connections, but instead has been used to sap money from incarcerated people.
Probation and parole are the leading forms of mass punishment in America.
We are leading the movement to protect our democracy from the Census Bureau's prison miscount.