Court Raises Question About Census Counts of Prisoners

by TChris

TalkLeft has repeatedly (e.g., here, here, and here) called attention to the Census Bureau's unfair practice of counting prisoners as residents of the counties in which the prisons that house them are situated. The practice boosts the population counts of the rural areas in which the prisons are located, which boosts their representation in Congress and state legislatures, and increases their share of government spending. Rural areas tend to vote Republican, so Republicans have little incentive to change the system.

The good news is that courts may be willing to remedy the problem, even if legislators fail to act.