Each U.S. state government is responsible for detaining lawbreakers and promoting public safety for residents of that state. That’s why each state operates a criminal justice system independent of other states and the federal government. Each state’s criminal justice system varies considerably, as they are influenced by the same factors that make states unique: population, geographic size, local cultural attitudes, various political leanings, GDP, the poverty rate, socioeconomic conditions for residents, and other aspects. This article summarizes how Wyoming approaches criminal justice.

The best way to understand a state’s criminal justice system is to determine how many people that state incarcerates. Beyond that, one should find answers to the following:

• What criminal rehabilitation programs are used in Wyoming?
• Are there alternatives to incarceration in Wyoming?
• How many people are incarcerated in Wyoming?
• What are the biggest prisons in Wyoming?
• What is Wyoming’s recidivism rate?
• What is Wyoming’s crime rate?

How many people are incarcerated in Wyoming? That is the first question to dive into. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Wyoming has the 16th highest incarceration rate in the nation, just ahead of Virginia but just behind Florida. Wyoming locks up 366 people for every 100,000 living in the state. The overall incarceration rate in the U.S. is 350 per 100,000, slightly lower than the Wyoming rate.¹

But how many people are actually behind bars in Wyoming? According to the National Institute of Corrections, Wyoming operates 23 jails in 23 counties. The jail population as of 2019 is 1,600.² Wyoming also has five state prisons where it holds 2,479 prisoners. Also, as of 2019, Wyoming’s community corrections population was 5,569 under probation and 968 under parole. State-operated facilities in Wyoming have a staff of 1,240 employees and a budget of $276,690,729. According to the Urban Institute, the Department of Corrections is the seventh costliest budget item in the state.³

As of 2019, Wyoming has 401 prisoners in private prisons, a 46% increase from 2000. About 16% of Wyoming’s prisoners are in private prisons.⁴ The Wyoming State Penitentiary, located in Rawlins, is the largest prison in the state, with a capacity for 750 inmates.⁵

One of the best indicators of the efficacy of a state’s criminal justice system is the state’s crime rate. Is the criminal justice system effectively reducing crime? Or are crime rates increasing? Low crime rates mean the state is doing something right and should be repeated. High crime rates mean the opposite.

According to Wyoming’s crime stats:⁶

• Wyoming recorded 1,201 violent crimes in 2020, the most violent crimes in at least four years.
• About 57.1% of homicide victims in Wyoming are women, and about 42.9% are men.
• There were 812 aggravated assaults recorded in 2020, higher than in 2018 and 2019 but lower than in 2017.
• Sixty robberies were recorded in Wyoming in 2021, lower than in 2017 and 2019 but higher than in 2018.
• Wyoming reported 24 homicides in 2020, almost double the homicide rate for 2017, 2018, and 2019.
• Most homicides in Wyoming involve an intimate partnership and rarely involve a stranger.
• Wyoming reported 305 sexual assaults in 2020, an increase of 30 assaults from 275 in 2019.

The above is by no means a complete list of crime rates in Wyoming, but the data does show that crime is on the rise in the state. The Wyoming Department of Justice, the Department of Corrections, law enforcement offices, and residents must work together to curb crime in Wyoming.

According to a federal report, Wyoming has a recidivism rate of 32.4%, meaning the criminal justice system in Wyoming is not working for about one-third of people who go through it.⁷ But according to a local report by Sara Friedman and Brenna Callahan, “In 2019, more than half of all prison admissions in Wyoming were due to probation and parole revocations, highlighting the need to address ineffective and costly responses to supervision violations.” The authors suggested Wyoming needs to implement community supervision practices to ensure formerly incarcerated individuals have the resources to prevent recidivism.⁷

Thankfully, the Wyoming legislature did appropriate over $3 million to the Department of Corrections (WDOC) between 2019 and 2020 to improve community supervision practices. It’s still a little too early to tell, but it’s hoped these changes will effectively reduce recidivism and lower the state’s crime rate.

Wyoming has launched a series of programs to curb crime rates by offering real solutions to offenders. “Access to resources, especially treatment for substance use disorders or behavioral health needs, can be challenging,” said Kalli Shannon, Field Services District 8 Manager in Sheridan, Wyoming. “Staff now have more options to help our clients get access to treatment if they need it instead of automatically revoking their probation or parole because they are struggling with substance use. Not only has this been beneficial for our clients, but it also increases safety in the community.” Shannon is referring to implementing a program called Positive Rewards Incentives Sanction Matrix (PRISM), which is designed to help offenders with addiction and behavioral health issues that often incentivize or exacerbate criminal behavior.⁸

“Staff now have more options to help our clients get access to treatment if they need it instead of automatically revoking their probation or parole because they are struggling with substance use. Not only has this been beneficial for our clients, but it also increases safety in the community.”

Wyoming has also worked hard to implement other criminal reform modalities that fall into the following three categories:

• Drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs for drug offenders
• Vocational programs for those who could benefit from training for gainful employment
• Life skills and coping strategies so offenders can get to the bottom of why they committed crimes

Wyoming has also made efforts toward getting people who should not necessarily be in prison out of prison. The Wyoming prison population increased from 1980 to 2015. In 2015, the state began limiting prison admission, duration, and re-entry, reducing sentences for low-risk, non-violent offenders and providing treatment options for substance abusers. The state has also made progress in restoring voting rights for non-violent offenders and passing legislation that allows judges to produce alternative forms of sentencing that do not involve incarceration.⁹

Finally, the Cowboy State should consider implementing educational programs inside prisons in Wyoming, as such programs can help offenders understand why they offended in the first place and what to do to avoid committing similar offenses. As the data shows, when Wyoming offenders are empowered with tools, educational support, and a better understanding of how to live life as responsible, crime-free adults, they’re less likely to re-offend once released from prison.