US Census - where should you be counted?

[Salty]

The Syracuse Post-Standard wrote an editorial as to where certain persons should be counted for the Census

Specifically, they believe that a prisoner should be counted as part of his home town, not the location of his incarceration. A jail could be several hundred or in the case of federal prisoners, thousands of miles from his home of record.

In addition, what about military personnel. Should they be counted where the Army sends them, or where they lived before joining the Army?

So what are your thoughts?

Salty

 

[Revmitchell]

Whoever is having to foot the bill for them.

 

[targus]

The problem with counting prisoners at the location of the prision is that it skews the population distribution figures.

Counting the large prisions located in rural areas would have the effect of overstating the population in that area and could result in an artifically greater political representation or an artifically inflated portion of public resources allocated to the area.

 

[Salty]

Whoever is having to foot the bill for them.

In a State or Commonwealth prison, the State/Commonwealth is paying the bill - so yes, they will be counted in New York state, but for which county? remember the county themself is not footing the bill

 

[preachinjesus]

Maybe we can figure out a way to count them as less people since they have transgressed against society...maybe 3/4ths of a person...

just kidding, but really I think the state should get to decide and they should be counted where they are incarcerated regardless of immigration status.

 

[menageriekeeper]

Count them as prisoners first, then subdivide those who will be released before the next census by where they will be released to (usually back to wherever they came from). Those who aren't to be released can then be counted for purposes of financing the prison etc.

 

[Salty]

just kidding, but really I think the state should get to decide and they should be counted where they are incarcerated regardless of immigration status.

Then what about federal prisons?

 

[preachinjesus]

Put them in DC's count, couple thousand extra felons will make most of our Congressmen and Senators feel at home.

Actually since DC doesn't get a senator and only has a token Congressman I think that might be a great plan.

 

[targus]

Illegal immigrants should be counted...

...then tagged and released back into their country of origin.

 

[Jon-Marc]

I would say that it depends on the circumstances. In my case, for instance, I was born and raised in Michigan and lived there for over 50 years, but I now live full time in Florida. Michigan is no linger my home--just where I was born and raised. I am now a Florida resident--registered to vote in Florida and not Michigan.

A person's PERMANENT home is the place where they should be counted. I never considered myself a resident of California, Oregon, Virginia, Texas, Alabama, or England when I lived temporarily in those places--compliments of the US Air Force. My home, in my opinion, during those times was still Battle Creek, Michigan. However, I have no intention of moving back to Michigan, and I should be counted as a Floridian.

 

[Salty]

A person's PERMANENT home is the place where they should be counted.

That is the key word - permanent. Unless a prisoner has a life sentence, he will go back, probably to his home town.

The editorial in the OP stated that our county has 1900 prisoners thru out the State. But if they are counted in the county they are jailed at, then our county looses out on federal funds, ET. Since many of those felons have family members - here in this county, they are very possibly on govt assistance - due to the absence of Dad. Therefore, this county should receive the count for those individuals to help in part the dependents of the felon.

Salty