Temporary Inmate populations change the political face of NY; Inflating Numbers
Tuesday, August 31, 2004 at 03:50PM
TheSpook
Temporary Inmate populations change the political face of New York; Inflating Representation
98% of NY's prison cells are in Republican Senate Districts
As this week's news coverage has emphasized, the
Republican National Convention is being held in strongly Democratic New
York City. While the presence of thousands of high-profile Republicans
will not directly affect future New York elections, another temporary
transfer of population might. New York City is not just the host of the
Republican National Convention, it's the actual home of the majority of
the state's prisoners. I have previously reported that 65% of New York
State's prisoners come from the city, but 91% of the prison cells are
upstate. But what party represents the Senate districts that host the
prisons? As of January 2003, 98% of New York's prisoners were
incarcerated in Senate districts represented by Republicans. While the
media coverage recognizes that large numbers of Republicans from the
"Red States" are "in town" only for the convention, the Census Bureau
uses an outdated methodology that credits the population of
disenfranchised prisoners to the small communities that host the
prisons. This practice inflates the population of the upstate region,
giving it additional clout in the state legislature without risking a
change in who wins the legislative seats.[more ]
Article originally appeared on (http://brownwatch.com/).
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