Wyoming is the least populated state in the country, and its prison system is correspondingly small. The Wyoming Department of Corrections (WDOC) operates five primary institutions and uses "administrative segregation" as its primary term for solitary confinement. The Wyoming State Penitentiary (WSP) in Rawlins is the system's high-custody facility and the primary site of administrative segregation.
Wyoming has no statute limiting the use or duration of adult solitary confinement, and as of 2023 had never introduced a single piece of legislation on the issue -- one of only five states nationwide in that position. Wyoming also permits unrestricted solitary confinement for juveniles, one of eleven states that had not restricted juvenile isolation as of 2025.
Wyoming has a federal lawsuit currently pending against the Wyoming Boys' School (a state-run juvenile facility) alleging former residents were placed in solitary confinement for up to 45 days and held in restraint chairs for up to 12 hours at a time.
What Solitary Confinement Is Called in Wyoming
WDOC uses "administrative segregation" as its primary term for solitary-level confinement. Types include:
Administrative Segregation: Non-punitive placement for safety, security, or protective reasons. Open-ended with periodic review. The Wyoming State Penitentiary's official description identifies it as "a high custody facility for both general population and administrative segregation housing."
Disciplinary Segregation: Post-hearing punitive placement for rule violations, with a defined sanction term.
Protective Custody: Separation for the person's own safety.
Wyoming's Facilities
Wyoming operates five primary correctional institutions:
Wyoming State Penitentiary (WSP) -- Rawlins, Carbon County: The state's high-custody facility for adult men. WSP houses both general population and administrative segregation. It is the primary location of long-term solitary confinement in Wyoming. WSP also houses the male Youth Offender Treatment Program, a high custody intensive treatment program, and prison industries. Staffing approximately 177 correctional officers.
Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution (WMCI) -- Torrington, Goshen County: The state's medium-security men's facility. Serves as the intake center for men not sentenced to death.
Wyoming Women's Center (WWC) -- Lusk, Niobrara County: The state's women's prison. Capacity 261. Has experienced staffing shortages in the past (documented at approximately 17% below authorized staffing levels in 2019).
Wyoming Honor Farm -- Riverton, Fremont County: Minimum security, capacity approximately 283.
Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp and Boot Camp -- Newcastle, Weston County: Combined capacity approximately 261.
WDOC has previously contracted with out-of-state facilities (including a Mississippi private prison) during periods of overcrowding.
Wyoming's Legislative Record on Solitary
As of a January 2023 Solitary Watch analysis, Wyoming was one of only five states that had not introduced a single piece of legislation to restrict or limit solitary confinement. The other four were Iowa, Idaho, North Dakota, and Utah (Utah has since passed legislation). Wyoming has no statute:
- Limiting the duration of adult administrative segregation or disciplinary segregation.
- Requiring minimum out-of-cell time.
- Prohibiting placement of people with serious mental illness in solitary.
- Mandating public data reporting on solitary use.
Wyoming is not among the 12 states identified by the Unlock the Box Campaign as having passed solitary confinement legislation between July 2024 and July 2025. No reform bills appear to have been introduced in the Wyoming Legislature in 2024 or 2025 sessions.
Wyoming Boys' School Lawsuit
A federal lawsuit filed in Wyoming District Court alleged that three former residents of the Wyoming Boys' School -- a state-run juvenile facility -- suffered the following while they were teenagers in state custody:
- Placement in solitary confinement for extended periods, in at least one case for 45 days.
- Being strapped to high-backed restraint chairs with full-body straps for up to 12 hours at a time.
- Deprivation of food.
The complaint alleges these practices constituted cruel and unusual punishment and violated the plaintiffs' constitutional rights. The status of this lawsuit should be confirmed at publish.
Wyoming and Juvenile Solitary
As of 2025 reporting, Wyoming is among eleven states that still permit unrestricted solitary confinement for juveniles -- meaning it has not passed legislation restricting or banning solitary for people under 18 in juvenile facilities or adult prisons. This is consistent with Wyoming's broader legislative inaction on solitary confinement reform.
What Families Can Do
If your person is in administrative segregation or disciplinary segregation at a Wyoming state prison:
Find where your person is housed. WDOC provides an offender locator at corrections.wyo.gov. This confirms current facility and housing status. For most administrative segregation placements, your person will be at WSP in Rawlins (Carbon County).
Contact the facility. For WSP, contact the warden's office at the Wyoming State Penitentiary, Rawlins, WY. Ask specifically: your person's housing type (administrative segregation, disciplinary segregation, or protective custody), the reason for placement, the start date, and the scheduled review date.
Know there is no statutory cap. Wyoming has no maximum duration for administrative segregation. If your person has been in administrative segregation for an extended period, ask what specific criteria must be met for return to general population and what the review schedule is. Document all responses.
Ask about programming access. WSP describes itself as a facility where "programming and treatment are prioritized." Ask what programming your person has access to in administrative segregation specifically, and file a grievance if they are being denied programming with no documented justification.
File a grievance. WDOC has an administrative grievance process. Help your person file formal grievances for conditions violations, denial of mental health services, failure to conduct required placement reviews, or failure to provide program access.
Contact the ACLU of Wyoming. The ACLU of Wyoming (acluwy.org) is the primary civil liberties organization monitoring WDOC conditions. Contact them for referrals and advocacy support.
Contact Disability Rights Wyoming (DRW). DRW is the federally mandated protection and advocacy organization for Wyoming and monitors conditions for people with disabilities in state correctional facilities.
Seek legal help. If your person has a serious mental illness and is in administrative segregation without mental health services, or if administrative segregation has continued for an extended period without documented review, consult a prisoner rights attorney familiar with Wyoming federal courts.
Note on geographic isolation: Wyoming is a large, sparsely populated state with facilities spread across great distances. WSP (Rawlins) and WWC (Lusk) are hours from major population centers. For families traveling long distances for visits, confirm visiting rules and administrative segregation visiting restrictions before traveling.
Frequently asked questions
What is solitary confinement called in Wyoming prisons?
Wyoming DOC uses "administrative segregation" for non-punitive, open-ended isolation for safety or security reasons, and "disciplinary segregation" for post-hearing punitive isolation with a defined term. "Protective custody" covers safety-based separation at the person's request or for their protection. The Wyoming State Penitentiary (WSP) in Rawlins is officially described as a "high custody facility for both general population and administrative segregation housing."
Which WY facility uses administrative segregation most?
The Wyoming State Penitentiary (WSP) in Rawlins is the primary site of administrative segregation in Wyoming's prison system. As the state's only high-custody men's facility, it handles the most serious security classifications. Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution (WMCI) in Torrington handles intake for men. Wyoming Women's Center (WWC) in Lusk serves women. Honor Farm (Riverton) and Honor Conservation Camp (Newcastle) are minimum-security.
How long can someone stay in solitary in Wyoming?
Indefinitely for administrative segregation -- Wyoming has no statute capping its duration. Disciplinary segregation has a defined term set at the hearing. Wyoming is one of the few states nationwide that has never introduced a bill to limit solitary confinement duration. As of a January 2023 survey, Wyoming was among only five states that had not introduced any solitary confinement legislation.
Has Wyoming ever introduced a solitary confinement bill?
As of a January 2023 analysis by Solitary Watch, Wyoming was one of only five states (along with Iowa, Idaho, North Dakota, and Utah at the time) that had not introduced a single bill to restrict or limit solitary confinement. Wyoming is not among the 12 states that passed solitary legislation between July 2024 and July 2025 per the Unlock the Box Campaign. Verify the current status of any 2024-2025 legislative activity at publish.
Are mentally ill prisoners protected from solitary in WY?
Wyoming has no statute prohibiting placement of people with serious mental illness in administrative segregation or disciplinary segregation. WSP describes mental health programming as part of its overall treatment priorities, but this is an administrative commitment, not a statutory protection. Disability Rights Wyoming is the federally mandated protection and advocacy organization monitoring conditions for people with disabilities.
What services do WY prisoners get in solitary?
WDOC does not publicly specify a minimum out-of-cell time or programming access requirement for administrative segregation in a widely available policy statement. WSP's public materials describe programming and treatment as priorities across the facility, but specific administrative segregation conditions are not detailed publicly. File a grievance or contact ACLU of Wyoming if your person is being denied specific services during administrative segregation.
What is the Wyoming Boys School solitary lawsuit?
A federal lawsuit filed in Wyoming District Court alleges three former residents of the Wyoming Boys' School (a state-run juvenile facility) were placed in solitary confinement for extended periods -- in at least one case for 45 days -- and were strapped to restraint chairs for up to 12 hours at a time. The complaint also alleges food deprivation. The lawsuit alleges cruel and unusual punishment and constitutional rights violations. Verify the current status of this litigation at publish.
Does Wyoming restrict solitary for juveniles?
No. As of 2025 reporting, Wyoming is among eleven states that still permit unrestricted solitary confinement for juveniles. Wyoming has not passed legislation banning or limiting isolation of people under 18 in juvenile facilities or adult prisons. This is consistent with the state's broader inaction on solitary confinement reform across all age groups.
Can families visit someone in Wyoming solitary?
Visiting is typically restricted during administrative segregation. Contact WSP (Rawlins, Wyoming) or the specific WDOC facility before traveling. Wyoming facilities are geographically spread across a large, sparsely populated state -- WSP is in Rawlins (Carbon County, south-central Wyoming), WWC is in Lusk (northeast Wyoming). Both are hours from major population centers. Confirm visiting rules and any administrative segregation restrictions before making the trip.
What can families do if someone is in WY solitary?
Use WDOC's offender locator at corrections.wyo.gov to find your person. Contact the facility (most likely WSP in Rawlins) for housing type, reason, start date, and review schedule. Ask what criteria must be met for return to general population and document the answer. File grievances for conditions violations, mental health service denial, or missed review dates. Contact ACLU of Wyoming (acluwy.org) or Disability Rights Wyoming for advocacy support. ---