Murphy will sign bill to count prisoners from original hometown for congressional redistricting

Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to sign legislation allowing incarcerated individuals to be counted in their original hometown for the purpose of congressional redistricting on Friday, the New Jersey Globe has learned.

That allows congressional and legislative districts to be drawn using identical population data.

State officials are preparing to change the numbers, which will reduce population in municipalities where there is a state prison or jail.

Under a new law passed earlier this year, incarcerated people will now be counted in their home communities and not in the municipality where their correctional facility is located for the purpose of legislative redistricting.

Previously, those incarcerated would be counted towards the town in which they were imprisoned.

The bill approved by the legislature last month that would apply the same rules to congressional redistricting, municipal wards, county commissioner districts and regional school board members.

Secretary of State Tahesha Way said this week that U.S. Census data will be updated to reflect these laws within seven days of the receipt of certified data.  That is expected before September 30.