Finally, a resolution has been introduced by Representatives Cruz, Youngblood, Parker and Siptroth on January 20,2010 into the House of Respresentatives of the General Assembly, to address the counting of prisoners. Pennsylvania has counted the prisoners in the areas where they are warehoused as opposed to the area where they were they previously lived. This has resulted in over-bloating of the census count for rural Pennsylvania and diminished the population count of the large cities. The census is used to weigh the number of represenatives in the government as well as funding that is directed to the various areas.
Resolution 593 was referred to the Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs on January 20, 2010.
Here follows the text of the Resolution.
Urging the United States Census Bureau to change its policy of recording the residence of incarcerated persons from the location of the correctional facilities to the last known home address of such persons.
WHEREAS, The United States Census Bureau has a statutory duty to conduct a census of the national population every ten years, perform censuses of economic activity and state and local governments every five years and annually engage in more than 100 other surveys; and
WHEREAS, The sole purpose of the censuses and surveys is to collect general statistical information from individuals and establishments in order to compile statistics; and
WHEREAS, The United States Census Bureau has policy of recording the residence of incarcerated persons as the location of the correctional facility that houses them, rather than the last known home address for such persons; and
WHEREAS, This policy is unfair, unsound and should be changed; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the United States Census Bureau to change its policy of recording the residence of incarcerated persons from the location of the correctional facility to the last known home address of such persons; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the Director of the United States Census Bureau.
