Wyoming State Penitentiary 

Rawlins, Wyoming

 

 

 

The Wyoming State Penitentiary consists of a high security/special needs prison (referred to as the South Facility), the administration and warehouse/maintenance buildings, and the Central Production Facility (kitchen/laundry). The South Facility was originally designed to be in addition to the North Facility, a prison that was opened in 1980 that housed approximately 500 medium security inmates. Due to life/safety issues, the North Facility cell and office areas were vacated at the same time the South Facility opened on July 21, 2001. All industries and vocational spaces at the North Facility were closed as well.

In August 2002 a new Central Production Facility (kitchen/laundry) was opened. Until that

time, the kitchen and laundry facilities in the North Facility were in operation.

In December 2001 the State Legislature was presented the results of in-depth structural and programming studies at the North Facility, as well as at the Wyoming Women's Center. The North Facility still stands, though empty.

Adult male offenders are offered a variety of classroom and video educational and vocational programs. Additionally the WSP performs the department's initial reception and assessment process for all male offenders within the adult correctional system. Following this period, inmates are assigned permanent housing, either in the Wyoming State Penitentiary, or in the two minimum security prisons in Riverton (Wyoming Honor Farm) or Newcastle (Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp), in county jails, or in out-of-state housing.

The Wyoming Medium Correctional Facility is being built in Torrington, Wyoming. It will open in January 2010 and will have the capacity to house 700 medium custody male inmates.  It will then perform the department's initial reception and assessment, removing that function from the Wyoming State Penitentiary. When the WMCI opens, all inmates currently being housed out-of-state will return to Wyoming.

 

        Inmate Count  

LOCATION	COUNT (as of June 18, 2009)
Wyoming State Penitentiary	751
Wyoming State Penitentiary Intensive Treatment Unit	28
Casper Re-entry Center	99
Wyoming County Jails	35
Pocahontas Correctional Center, Pocahontas, Virginia	191
Wallens Ridge State Prison, Big Stone Gap, Virginia	105
Wyoming Community Corrections Centers (Casper,Cheyenne, Gillete)	89
TOTAL (see other WDOC facility pages for their counts)	1,298

 

 

 

2001 South Facility, Administration and Warehouse Buildings, Central Production Facility

When the High Security/Special Needs Facility (South Facility) was planned, a new warehouse and administration building were also planned. Both the warehouse and the administration building were designed to service the entire complex. These two buildings were occupied in March 2000.

The South Facility opened in July 2001 to house inmates that needed high security or had special medical or mental health needs. It has a capacity of 648 inmates. Due to the vacating of the North Facility, the South Facility currently also houses medium and minimum security inmates.

In August 2002 the new Central Production Facility opened (kitchen and laundry facility) and the original kitchen/laundry facility was closed in the North Facility. This brought an end to any occupancy of the North Facility.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View Larger Map