Prison Gerrymandering Case Goes Against Jefferson County
March 21st, 2016 by Mike VasilindaA Federal Judge is ordering that county commission districts in rural Jefferson County, directly east of the State Capitol, be redraw because one district relied heavily on including 1200 prisoners at a state prison to make the five districts equal. The prisoners made up about 43 percent of the districts population. African American residents challenged the district makeup because it places black voters at a disadvantage. The case is also important because state lawmakers relied on about 10 thousand black voting aged prisoners to keep newly draw Congressional District 5 as a minority seat under the voting rights act. A hearing on the congressional case is set for Friday.
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