Political Prisoners?

The 'Political Prisoners?' episode from NPR's 'Code Switch' podcast delves into the contentious issue of prison gerrymandering, focusing on how incarcerated individuals are counted in the census and the implications this has for political representation and power distribution. Hosts Shereen Marisol Maraji and Hansi Lo Wang, along with producer Kumari Devarajan, explore the historical practice of counting prisoners as residents of the towns where they are incarcerated, rather than their home communities. They highlight the significant impact this has on creating voting districts filled with non-voters, which often results in local elected officials, predominantly white, representing a large population of disenfranchised black and Latinx prisoners.

The episode takes listeners to Waupun, Wisconsin, a predominantly white rural town with a high concentration of incarcerated black men from Milwaukee. Here, prisoners make up a significant portion of the population, yet they have no voice in local politics. The prisoners, Kenneth McGowan and Robert Alexander, express their disconnect from Waupun, emphasizing that they do not consider it their community. Despite constituting the majority of some local voting districts, they are unable to vote or have a say in local governance.

The narrative unfolds as the hosts interview local officials, revealing a stark disconnect between the elected representatives and the incarcerated individuals they technically represent. Aldermen like Peter Kaczmarski and Ryan Mielke, who have districts composed largely of prisoners, admit to having little to no interaction with the prison population. This situation raises questions about the fairness and legitimacy of their representation.

Moreover, the episode touches on the broader economic and social implications for towns like Waupun, where the inclusion of prisoners in census counts distorts demographic data, affecting everything from retail recruitment to the perception of the community's socioeconomic status. The city's efforts to rebrand itself from 'Prison City' to 'City of Sculpture' underscore the complex relationship between the prison system and the town's identity.