Wyoming profile    Tweet this

Sections

Charts & graphs

Reports & briefings

Other resources

Wyoming has an incarceration rate of 785 per 100,000 people (including prisons, jails, immigration detention, and juvenile justice facilities), meaning that it locks up a higher percentage of its people than any independent democratic country on earth. Read on to learn more about who is incarcerated in Wyoming and why.

4,400 people from Wyoming are behind bars

Additionally, the number of people impacted by county and city jails in Wyoming is much larger than the graph above would suggest, because people cycle through local jails relatively quickly. Each year, at least 8,000 different people are booked into local jails in Wyoming.

Rates of imprisonment have grown dramatically in the last 40 years

Also see these Wyoming graphs:

• total numbers rather than rates.
• Women’s prisons: Incarceration Rates | Total Population
• Men’s prisons: Incarceration Rates | Total Population

Today, Wyoming’s incarceration rates stand out internationally

In the U.S., incarceration extends beyond prisons and local jails to include other systems of confinement. The U.S. and state incarceration rates in this graph include people held by these other parts of the justice system, so they may be slightly higher than the commonly reported incarceration rates that only include prisons and jails. Details on the data are available in States of Incarceration: The Global Context. We also have a version of this graph focusing on the incarceration of women.

People of color are overrepresented in prisons and jails

Wyoming's criminal justice system is more than just its prisons and jails

See detailed data on incarceration and supervision numbers and rates by state.

Reports and briefings about Wyoming's criminal legal system:

Filter to show Most recent All Big picture Collateral consequences Communication Exploitation Health Jails & bail Parole and probation Policing Poverty Prison gerrymandering Racial justice Women, gender, & families

• People on probation in Wyoming are saddled with onerous rules and conditions they must follow every day or risk incarceration.
• Prisons in Wyoming have tablets, but they may be being used to restrict incarcerated people’s access to books and sap them of the little money they have.
• With an incarceration rate of 785 per 100,000 residents, Wyoming locks up a higher percentage of its people than any independent democratic country on earth.
• Prisons in Wyoming force incarcerated people and their families — some of the most vulnerable members of society — to subsidize mass incarceration.
• 74% of people in Wyoming jails have not been convicted of a crime, meaning they're legally innocent. There are simple steps the state can take to reduce this number. Why isn't it?
• Wyoming releases roughly 22,485 men and 6,961 women from its prisons and jails each year. What is it doing to support them upon reentry?
• Wyoming is home to one of the worst prison gerrymanders in the nation.
• In Wyoming prisons, breaking even minor rules can come with monetary fines that put incarcerated people in debt to the state
• The parole board in Wyoming is releasing 20% fewer people and holding 20% fewer hearings since the pandemic started
• Black people in Wyoming are incarcerated at a rate 6.3 times higher than white people.
• Wyoming’s choice to criminalize “failure to appear” may be hurting public safety
• The cost of incarcerating older people is incredibly high, and their risk of reincarceration is incredibly low, yet 15% of people in Wyoming prisons are over the age of 55. Why is the state keeping so many older people locked up?
• Wyoming makes it difficult or even risky for incarcerated journalists to tell their stories.
• In Wyoming, 4,400 people are incarcerated and another 5,740 are on probation or parole.
• Jails in Wyoming charge up to $3.15 for a 15-minute phone call, reaping profits for companies, while prisons charge 90¢ for a 15-minute call.
• How the end of Roe v. Wade will impact the 1,510 women on probation and parole in Wyoming
• Wyoming is one of a handful of states that doesn’t charge copays — and other states should follow its lead.
• People in Wyoming prisons must pay for hygiene items and other basics like replacement glasses unless they have no source of income or money their account. People have to pay the prison back for any expenses related to mailing and printing.
• Wyoming prisons charge families up to a 30% fee to transfer money to an incarcerated loved one.
• We gave Wyoming a failing grade in September 2021 for its response to the coronavirus in prisons.
• Wyoming hurts jury diversity by excluding people with felony records
• How many COVID-19 cases in Wyoming communities can be linked to outbreaks in correctional facilities? (data from our report Mass Incarceration, COVID-19, and Community Spread)
• We graded the parole release systems of all 50 states - Wyoming gets a B-
• Wyoming incarcerates women at a rate of 250 per 100,000 residents — higher than any democratic country on earth.
• People in Wyoming prisons earn as little as 35¢ an hour for their work.
• Intentional prison-based gerrymandering found in Wyoming

Other resources

• Research on Wyoming in our Research Library