Prison Gerrymandering (H 7140)

When it comes to drawing new voting districts, any individuals incarcerated at the ACI in Cranston on the day the Census worker comes through are recorded as living on Howard Avenue at the prison, including individuals awaiting trial or serving misdemeanor sentences who are still allowed to vote, but only from their home addresses. As a result, Cranston is overrepresented in the General Assembly, while the districts from where the prisoners hail are underrepresented (approximately 15% of House District 20 is comprised of voters who cannot vote in Cranston). This legislation would have rectified this disparity and required all prisoners to be counted, for redistricting purposes only, at their last known address.