What does prison reform have to do with marriage equality? More than you might think. In New York State, incarcerated individuals are currently counted in the population of the district in which they are confined, despite the fact that they can't vote there and will most likely eventually go home to, and need services in, their home districts. A bill currently before the New York State Legislature would correct this.
This could be the most significant bill for marriage equality to come before the Legislature this year. Why? Many prisons are located in conservative upstate districts. Several State Senate districts near the border with Canada only have the population to be counted as districts because of the prisons within their borders. Whichever party has a majority in the State Senate after this November's election will be able to gerrymander the State Senate districts for the next 10 years following the 2010 census. If the population of the conservative districts are not enhanced by a non-voting prison population, this will shift the balance of power toward the more gay-friendly urban districts where the population actually resides. This could potentially mean an extra vote or two for marriage equality the next time it comes up for a vote.
As Correct the Count puts it: "Our democracy depends on equal representation. That's why it's simply unjust to continue counting incarcerated individuals as residents of their places of confinement, instead of their home communities as required by the New York State Constitution. The result is a significant under-representation for urban communities and communities of color across New York State. Thirteen upstate counties have already decided not to count people in prison when they draw their county legislative district lines. We call on the New York State Legislature to change how incarcerated individuals are counted for the purpose of legislative redistricting by passing S.6725/A.9834."
As Correct the Count puts it: "Our democracy depends on equal representation. That's why it's simply unjust to continue counting incarcerated individuals as residents of their places of confinement, instead of their home communities as required by the New York State Constitution. The result is a significant under-representation for urban communities and communities of color across New York State. Thirteen upstate counties have already decided not to count people in prison when they draw their county legislative district lines. We call on the New York State Legislature to change how incarcerated individuals are counted for the purpose of legislative redistricting by passing S.6725/A.9834."
Please call your state senator and ask him or her to pass S.6725, changing how incarcerated individuals are counted for redistricting purposes.
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