Common Cause/NY Applauds Passage of Measure Ending Prison-Based Gerrymandering

Watchdog Group Says: "Righting This Historical Wrong Is the First Step Towards Reforming Our State's Redistricting Process."

NEW YORK, NY (08/04/2010)(readMedia)-- In recognition of the fact that the budget revenue bill passed by the New York Senate last night enacted a measure to end the pernicious and inequitable practice of prison-based gerrymandering, Common Cause/NY Executive Director Susan Lerner issued the following statement:

"Common Cause/NY applauds the State Legislature for ending this long-standing and disquieting practice. As the third state to pass this unfortunately necessary measure to re-enforce and restore the principal of one person-one vote to all residents, New York becomes a leader nationwide in the fight to end this distortion of our democratic election process. The practice of counting incarcerated people where they are imprisoned rather than in their home districts unfairly shifted political power from those communities that have been decimated by the Rockefeller Drug Laws and other aspects of the now powerful prison-industry. We hope that this is the first step towards righting the balance in our society from an undue emphasis on prison and punishment to education, rehabilitation and employment, as well as an important step towards a fair and equitable drawing of political district lines."

Executive Director Susan Lerner can be reached via her mobile phone at (917) 670-5670.

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