Most states count incarcerated people as residents of their prisons when drawing electoral maps, not of their home communities — even though people in prison are unable to vote in the prison’s district. Here in Rhode Island, people housed at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) are counted by the Census Bureau as residents of Cranston. The result? A form of gerrymandering that unfairly skews political representation toward a few state legislative districts in Cranston.

In 2021, the legislature reassigned 42% of people housed at the ACI to their pre-incarceration homes. While this was a partial victory, it was neither a sufficient nor a permanent change. A recent report tells us far more people can be reassigned, if the legislature chooses to end prison gerrymandering, like 12 states have.

We can end prison gerrymandering once and for all in Rhode Island if the General Assembly passes legislation — but we need your voice!