Our research examines the practice of prison gerrymandering in Texas and its impact on political representation and racial equity. By counting incarcerated individuals at their place of confinement rather than their home communities for redistricting purposes, Texas artificially inflates the political power of certain rural areas while diminishing representation in urban centers. This practice exacerbates existing census undercounts and disproportionately affects communities of color. We analyze the legal and administrative framework surrounding this issue and propose recommendations for addressing prison gerrymandering in the 2030 redistricting cycle and beyond.
Robinson et al. (Tue,) studied this question.