There’s a quiet distortion hiding in plain sight on the political maps of Oklahoma — one that shifts power away from the communities that need it most and hands it to areas built around incarceration. It’s called prison gerrymandering, and despite being rooted in outdated federal policy, it’s something Oklahoma lawmakers can fix — today.
Recently highlighted on the Prisoners of the Census blog, this issue is gaining renewed attention because the stakes for democracy are high, and the time for change is now.
🗺️ What Is Prison Gerrymandering?
At its core, prison gerrymandering is a political sleight of hand: people who are incarcerated are counted by the U.S. Census Bureau as residents of the prison location — not their home communities.
Here’s why that’s a problem:
- Incarcerated individuals can’t vote while in prison in Oklahoma.
- Most return to their home communities upon release.
- Yet for Census purposes, they’re counted where they’re confined — often in rural districts with large prison populations.
This inflates the political power of those districts and dilutes the representation of the communities where incarcerated people actually live and have lasting ties. The result? Skewed legislative maps that warp the democratic principle of “one person, one vote.”
⚖️ Why It Hurts Oklahoma
Oklahoma has one of the highest incarceration rates in the country, disproportionately impacting Black, Indigenous, and low-income communities. That means prison gerrymandering not only manipulates district population counts — it also exacerbates structural racism and weakens the political voice of already-marginalized groups.
When legislative districts are drawn using prison populations, lawmakers in those districts benefit from “ghost constituents” — people who can’t vote or engage in local politics. Meanwhile, the urban and rural communities that actually raised, supported, and will welcome back those same individuals are robbed of accurate representation and critical resources tied to population counts.
This isn’t just a numbers game — it’s a direct hit to democratic fairness, racial justice, and policy equity.
🏛️ The Good News: Oklahoma Can End This Practice
Federal Census policy may be the root of the issue, but the solution doesn’t have to wait for Washington. States have the power to fix this. And several already have.
New York, California, Illinois, Colorado, Maryland, Washington, and others have passed legislation requiring the state to count incarcerated individuals at their last known address — not the location of the prison — for redistricting purposes. These reforms have upheld the integrity of legislative maps and helped restore political equity to the communities most impacted by mass incarceration.
Oklahoma lawmakers can do the same.
📣 What Needs to Happen Next
- Acknowledge the Problem: Prison gerrymandering is not neutral — it’s a policy failure with racial and democratic consequences.
- Push for Reform Legislation: Oklahoma should join the growing list of states that use adjusted redistricting data reflecting incarcerated individuals’ home addresses.
- Engage the Public: Raise awareness about how political maps are drawn and who benefits. Transparency builds the pressure needed for change.
🌱 Why It Matters for Sustainable Democracy
At Sustainable Action Now, we believe sustainability isn’t just about the environment — it’s about systems that support fairness, justice, and inclusion. A democratic system that allows one district to gain political power by warehousing disenfranchised people from another is not sustainable. It’s a relic of an outdated model — and it must be dismantled.
This is a rare opportunity for Oklahoma to take a bold, bipartisan stand in favor of fair maps, equal representation, and justice beyond the prison walls.
✅ Take Action
- Contact your state representative and demand legislation to end prison gerrymandering.
- Support organizations like the Prison Policy Initiative and Prisoners of the Census that are pushing for reform.
- Share this article to help more people understand how district lines affect democracy.
Let’s build a democracy where every person counts — not just on paper, but in power.
