The Wyoming State Prison System

Established in 1991, the Wyoming Department of Corrections (WDOC) oversees correctional facilities and parole in the state. The agency aims to improve community safety through risk assessment, recognition and retention, and evidence-based crime prevention strategies. The Director of Corrections manages the WDOC, and together with the agency staff and management, the Director of Corrections ensures that offenders are safe and that the correctional facilities are clean, productive, and secure.

Based on assessment and evidence, the WDOC offers different programs to meet inmates’ needs. WDOC also assists inmates with the best strategies for successful re-entry into society as productive citizens. For offenders under community supervision, the WDOC’s programs promote accountability, transparency, and community involvement, thereby improving the success and effectiveness of correctional facilities in the state. WDOC identifies and guides the roles of stakeholders, such as victims, community members and offenders in creating an effective justice system in Wyoming.

What is the Difference Between Jail and Prison in Wyoming?

Jail and prison are different in a number of ways, including size or capacity, function, and management. Jails are smaller than prisons as jails hold smaller populations for shorter amounts of time. Persons awaiting trial, persons in overnight or 48-hour holding for offenses such as Driving Under the Influence of alcohol or other intoxicants (DUI), serve time in jails. Also, in Wyoming, state laws penalize misdemeanor crimes with imprisonment for no more than one year. Persons convicted of misdemeanor offenses also serve time in jails. Prisons hold persons imprisoned for longer periods, like persons convicted of felony crimes. Prisons are also bigger than jails and hold more people. State agencies like the WDOC manage prisons, while local government agencies like counties and local police departments manage jails.

How Many Prisons are in Wyoming?

The WDOC manages five (5) facilities:

Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp & Wyoming Boot Camp

Wyoming Honor Farm

Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution

Wyoming State Penitentiary

Wyoming Women’s Center

How do I search for an Inmate in Wyoming State Prison?

The Wyoming Department of Corrections offers an Inmate Locator tool that interested parties may use to search for inmates in a Wyoming state prison. Interested parties may search using either the first two letters of the offender’s last name or the offender’s WDOC inmate number. However, for streamlined search results, interested parties may also search using the offender’s first name, age, and gender. The WDOC offers offender information to the public in the interest of public safety and to fulfill the requirements of state status. Requesting parties may also obtain inmate information by calling the WDOC Central Office on (307) 777–7208. Interested parties may also contact the record custodian or the administrative staff in the facility holding a particular inmate to obtain information.

It is worth noting that WDOC does not release information that may compromise an inmate’s safety or comprehensive offender population lists. Interested parties may also search third-party websites for information about inmates in Wyoming state prisons.

Are Incarceration Records Public in Wyoming?

According to the Wyoming Public Records Act, incarceration records are public in Wyoming. The state’s public records law states that government agencies must make public records, including incarceration records, available for inspection or copying at reasonable times. Requesting parties must note that confidential records are not subject to public records laws. While incarceration records and other criminal history records are public, state laws prohibit the dissemination of parole and probation records.

Records that are considered public may be accessible from some third-party websites. These websites often make searching simpler, as they are not limited by geographic location, and search engines on these sites may help when starting a search for a specific or multiple records. To begin using such a search engine on a third-party or government website, interested parties usually must provide:

• The name of the person involved in the record, unless said person is a juvenile
• The location or assumed location of the record or person involved. This includes information such as the city, county, or state that person resides in or was accused in.

Third-party sites are independent from government sources, and are not sponsored by these government agencies. Because of this, record availability on third-party sites may vary.

Interested parties may request incarceration records online or by mail from the WDOC. The Division of Criminal Investigation in the Office of the Attorney General is the central repository for criminal history records in Wyoming. Interested parties may submit criminal history records requests to the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI).

How to Look Up Jail Records in Wyoming?

Local government agencies like counties and police departments manage jails. Consequently, interested parties may look up or obtain jail records in Wyoming by contacting the County Sheriff or local police department in charge of the jail by phone, in person, or by mail. Some counties provide jail records or inmate rosters online; requesting parties must contact each managing authority or administrative staff in the jail holding the records of interest to determine the best way to obtain jail records in Wyoming. Alternatively, interested parties may search third-party websites for jail records; however, requesting parties must note that third-party information websites are not government-run, and as such may contain outdated or inaccurate information.

Can Jail Records be Expunged in Wyoming?

Interested parties may file expungement motions for both conviction and non-conviction records in Wyoming. For non-conviction records, a party may file for expungement if:

• Six months after the offense
• The petitioner does not have any pending criminal charges
• The court did not convict the petitioner
• The prosecutor did not file any formal charges against the petitioner
• The court’s prosecutor dismissed the case

Requesting parties must note that it is not possible to expunge a deferred adjudication under the non-conviction records process.

Similarly, interested parties may file for the expungement of misdemeanor offenses if

• Five (1) years have passed since the offense
• If the petitioner is a minor, one (1) year must have passed since the event
• The offense that the petitioner seeks to expunge was not criminal
• The misdemeanor does not involve the use of firearms.

Requesting parties must note that the court will only grant an expungement order for a misdemeanor offense once.