Census counting of prisoners becomes partisan battleground The U.S. Census Bureau’s handling of prison inmates has become one more battlefield in the endless skirmish for partisan advantageIn this Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019 photo, Jerome Dillard poses in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) The Associated PressWhen the U.S. Census Bureau counts residents of Milwaukee’s poorest neighborhoods next year, a significant portion of their population will be missing: prisoners. Washington and Nevada this year became the fifth and sixth states to pass laws since 2010 banning using prisoners for redistricting, joining New York, Maryland, California and Delaware. Wisconsin’s prison population is smaller than Pennsylvania’s but the effects of using prisoners in redistricting are still apparent. But the Census Bureau said that since some states are considering whether to change where they count prisoners, states in 2021 can request a special dataset that will list prisoners at their pre-prison address for redistricting purposes.

Source: ABC News November 17, 2019 15:22 UTC