Tonya Bah, Executive Director of an organization called “Free The Ballot” was one of those who spoke Friday (Jan. 28) during a press conference in front of Curran-Fromhold Prison on State Road. She, like the rest of the activists on hand, are fired-up about redistricting numbers being blurred, so to speak. Bah charged, “We must end prison gerrymandering, and this Council and this Mayor can do it. We will be watching to see who votes, how they vote, and if this is carried out properly. There’s an election coming up in 2023 (referring to the next Philadelphia City Council election), and we have all of your names.”
So, what does Prison Gerrymandering mean? Using the prison address for incarcerated people rather than their home districts is called “prison gerrymandering.” It transfers political power from areas without prisons (mostly urban and suburban) to areas with prisons (mostly rural and overwhelmingly white communities).
**********
Thank you for reading Thera Martin’s article on scoopnewsusa.com. For more on “Decisions yet to be made about some Philadelphia Council Districts being redrawn meanwhile some groups warning of Prison Gerrymandering”, please subscribe to SCOOP USA Media. Print subscriptions are $75 and online subscriptions (Print, Digital, and VIZION) are $90. (52 weeks / 1 year).
