Inmate Rights in Wyoming

Wyoming's prison rights landscape is defined by two distinctive features. First, Wyoming's visitation policy (PP 5.400, Inmate Visiting) frames visitation neither as a right nor as a privilege but as an incentive program structured to encourage good institutional conduct; visiting can be denied, suspended, modified, or revoked at any time for any reason deemed in the interest of public, departmental, or facility safety and order. Second, Wyoming's voting rights restoration system has two tracks: nonviolent first time felony offenders convicted after January 1, 2010 have voting rights restored automatically upon completing their sentence including probation or parole, with WDOC issuing a certificate automatically; others must apply.

The Wyoming Department of Corrections, known as WDOC, is headquartered at 1934 Wyott Drive, Cheyenne, WY 82002; phone 307 777 7208; website corrections.wy.gov. WDOC operates the Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins, the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution in Torrington, the Wyoming Women's Center in Lusk, and other correctional camps and Adult Community Corrections Centers (ACCs). Policies and procedures are available at corrections.wy.gov.

This guide covers rights inside Wyoming state prisons and county jails across ten domains, grounded in WDOC policy, Wyoming statute, and the current legal landscape.

Here is the short version, before we take each right apart.

Medical and mental health care are constitutionally required. Mail is governed by PP 5.401; WDOC Form #521 is issued for rejected mail. Money deposits go through Access Secure Deposits (toll free, online, or walk in). Phone calls are available. Visitation under PP 5.400 is structured as an incentive program, not a right or privilege, and can be denied or revoked at any time; Adult Community Corrections Centers (ACCs) are excluded from PP 5.400. The grievance process under PP 3.100 runs through a tiered communication continuum: verbal contact with staff first, then Inmate Communication Form (WDOC Form #320), then Inmate Grievance Form (WDOC Form #321), then appeal; all steps must be exhausted before federal court. PREA protections apply. Religious practice is protected. ADA accommodations are required. Wyoming voting rights for nonviolent first time felons convicted after January 1, 2010 are restored automatically upon completion of sentence; others must apply to WDOC.

Medical and mental health care

Every person in a Wyoming state prison has a constitutional right to adequate medical and mental health care under the Eighth Amendment. WDOC provides health care services across its facilities. Wyoming's correctional system is accredited by the American Correctional Association (ACA), and ACA standards are referenced in WDOC's policy framework.

If your loved one is not receiving needed medical or mental health care, submit every request in writing with a date, keep copies, and file a formal grievance through the WDOC tiered grievance process (PP 3.100). Contact the ACLU of Wyoming for systemic medical care concerns. For general information, contact WDOC at 307 777 7208 or corrections.wy.gov.

Mail: PP 5.401 and inmate mail forms

Mail in Wyoming state prisons is governed by WDOC Policy and Procedure 5.401, Inmate Mail. Legal mail, meaning correspondence from attorneys, must be opened only in the incarcerated person's presence to check for physical contraband; WDOC Form #306 covers searches of legal material; WDOC Form #523 covers notification when privileged mail is accidentally opened. WDOC Form #520 provides an overview of inmate mail regulations. Rejected mail generates WDOC Form #521 (Notification of Mail Rejection). Packages require WDOC Form #522 (Package Authorization).

Families and friends can send money to WDOC inmates through Access Secure Deposits by toll free phone, internet, or walk in deposit. Fees apply; check the WDOC website at corrections.wy.gov or InmateAid for current information. Contact InmateAid or WDOC at 307 777 7208 to confirm current mail procedures for the specific facility.

Phone access

Phone calls from Wyoming state prisons are available through the inmate telephone system at each facility. Calls are monitored and recorded except for privileged calls to attorneys. Phone rates are subject to the FCC's prison telephone rate caps, expanded in 2024 to cover all facilities regardless of size.

Phone systems and contractors vary by WDOC facility. County detention centers in Wyoming use separate systems. InmateAid can help families navigate the current phone account setup and options for the specific WDOC facility. Contact WDOC at 307 777 7208 for general phone system information.

Visitation: PP 5.400 and the incentive framework

Wyoming's visitation policy (PP 5.400, Inmate Visiting) is among the most explicitly structured in this series. Visitation in a WDOC correctional facility is permitted neither as a matter of right nor as a privilege of the inmate or visitor; rather, visitation is permitted when it furthers the inmate's correctional planning and WDOC's correctional goals and is consistent with the safe, secure, and orderly management and operation of the facility. WDOC structures visiting as an incentive program to encourage good institutional conduct.

Application for visiting privileges may be denied, and visiting privileges may be suspended, modified, or revoked at any time for any reason deemed to be in the interest of public, departmental, or correctional facility safety, security, and order. This means good disciplinary conduct is essential to maintaining visiting access. Note that PP 5.400 does not apply to inmates housed at Adult Community Corrections Centers (ACCs); ACC visitation is governed separately. WDOC is committed to encouraging pro social relationships, particularly between inmates and their family members and friends. Contact the specific WDOC facility for current visiting schedules, procedures, and approval requirements.

The grievance process: PP 3.100

WDOC's Inmate Communication and Grievance Procedure (PP 3.100, authorized under Wyoming Statutes 25 1 104 and 25 1 105) establishes a tiered communication continuum that must be followed in sequence before a grievance can proceed. The steps and time limits are:

Step 1 (Verbal): Within 5 calendar days of the incident, the inmate should contact staff and attempt informal resolution.

Step 2 (Written Communication Form): If unresolved, within 10 calendar days of the incident (or within 5 calendar days of the verbal attempt), submit WDOC Form #320, Inmate Communication Form.

Step 3 (Inmate Grievance): If still unresolved, within 30 calendar days of the incident, submit WDOC Form #321, Inmate Grievance Form, to the grievance manager. The grievance manager sends a receipt within 3 working days and a written decision within 10 working days. Only one grievance per incident per inmate is allowed. Emergency grievances may be flagged on the form.

Step 4 (Appeal to Facility CEO): Within 7 calendar days of receiving the grievance decision, file WDOC Form #322, Inmate Grievance Appeal Form. All internal steps must be exhausted before filing a federal civil rights lawsuit under the Prison Litigation Reform Act. File every step in writing, keep copies of all forms, and document every response. Contact the ACLU of Wyoming for systemic concerns after the internal process is complete.

Disciplinary hearings

When a person in Wyoming state custody is accused of a disciplinary infraction, they are entitled to the minimum due process protections from Wolff v. McDonnell: advance written notice of the charge, a hearing, and a written statement of the evidence and reasons for any sanction. WDOC policy governs the disciplinary process. Disciplinary outcomes directly affect visitation access under PP 5.400's incentive framework: poor disciplinary conduct can result in reduction or loss of visitation.

Document what happened at any disciplinary hearing, who was present, and what evidence was considered. If the hearing result appears to violate procedural requirements, use the PP 3.100 communication continuum and grievance process.

PREA and protection from sexual abuse

The Prison Rape Elimination Act applies in all WDOC facilities and in Wyoming county jails. Every person in custody has the right to be free from sexual abuse and sexual harassment by staff and by other incarcerated people. WDOC must maintain PREA policies, train staff, provide a reporting mechanism, and protect people who report from retaliation.

Reports of sexual abuse or harassment can be made to facility staff, the PREA coordinator, or through external reporting options. Retaliation against someone who reports is a PREA violation and the basis of a separate complaint. Document every incident, every report made, and any change in housing or treatment that follows a report. Contact the ACLU of Wyoming for systemic PREA compliance concerns.

Religious practice

People incarcerated in Wyoming state prisons have the right to religious practice under the First Amendment and the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. WDOC must accommodate sincere religious beliefs and practices unless it can demonstrate a compelling security interest that cannot be addressed through less restrictive means. Religious programming and chaplaincy services are available in WDOC facilities.

Requests for specific religious accommodations, including dietary adjustments and access to religious items, go through a formal request process at the facility. A denial must rest on a genuine documented security concern. Denials can be challenged through the PP 3.100 grievance process and, if unresolved, in federal court under RLUIPA. Document the specific accommodation requested, the reason given for any denial, and every step taken.

ADA and disability accommodations

People with disabilities in Wyoming state prisons are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. WDOC must provide reasonable accommodations for people with mobility, vision, hearing, cognitive, and other disabilities. Requests for disability accommodations should be submitted in writing to the facility.

A denial or failure to respond can be challenged through the PP 3.100 grievance process and, if unresolved, in federal court. Contact Disability Rights Wyoming or the ACLU of Wyoming for systemic disability access concerns. Document every accommodation requested and every response received.

Voting rights: two track automatic and application system

Wyoming's voting rights restoration system for people with felony convictions has two tracks and was significantly expanded in 2023. The key rules under Wyoming Statute 7 13 105:

Track 1 (automatic): For nonviolent first time felony offenders convicted after January 1, 2010, voting rights are restored automatically upon completion of sentence including probation or parole. WDOC shall issue a certificate of restoration of voting rights. This process normally takes approximately 45 days after sentence completion. As of reporting, approximately 3,708 nonviolent felons had received voting rights restoration.

Track 2 (application required): For people with out of state or federal felony convictions, or people who completed their sentence before January 1, 2010, an application to WDOC is required.

Senate File 120 (2023) expanded civil rights restoration for qualifying nonviolent felons: in addition to voting rights, nonviolent felons may regain the right to own and use firearms, serve on a jury, and hold public office, five years after completing sentence or probation, provided they remain conviction free during that period. Those convicted of specified violent offenses (including murder, manslaughter, sexual assault in the first or second degree, robbery, and others) are excluded.

The governor may also restore civil rights upon written application after sentence expiration or satisfactory completion of probation. In 2025, SF9 amended Statute 7 13 105 to modify some automatic restoration provisions. Contact WDOC at 307 777 7208 or corrections.wy.gov, or contact the Wyoming Secretary of State's Elections Division, to confirm current eligibility.

WDOC facilities and Adult Community Corrections Centers

WDOC operates multiple adult correctional facilities. State prisons include: the Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins; the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution in Torrington; the Wyoming Women's Center in Lusk; and other correctional camps. WDOC also operates Adult Community Corrections Centers (ACCs) for people approaching release. County detention centers in Wyoming are operated separately by county sheriffs with their own rules and procedures.

An important distinction: PP 5.400 (Inmate Visiting) does not apply to inmates housed at ACCs; ACC visitation is governed separately. If your loved one is at an ACC, contact that center directly for visiting and communication procedures. For state prison facilities, WDOC policies and procedures are available at corrections.wy.gov. WDOC headquarters: 1934 Wyott Drive, Cheyenne, WY 82002; phone 307 777 7208.

Legal access and the courts

People incarcerated in Wyoming state prisons have a constitutional right of meaningful access to the courts under the First Amendment and Bounds v. Smith. WDOC Mail Policy PP 5.401 specifically protects legal mail through WDOC Form 306 (search of legal material) and WDOC Form 523 (notification of privileged mail accidentally opened). WDOC Policy PP 3.401, Inmate Access to Courts, is cross referenced in PP 5.401 and governs court access more broadly.

Inmates may file civil rights actions, habeas corpus petitions, and other legal filings. The grievance process under PP 3.100 must generally be exhausted before a federal civil rights lawsuit can be filed under the Prison Litigation Reform Act. WDOC provides access to legal resources through library services. Contact the Wyoming State Bar Lawyer Referral Service or the ACLU of Wyoming for assistance finding attorneys. For emergency legal matters, WDOC Form 321 allows flagging a grievance as an emergency grievance.

The bottom line for Wyoming

Wyoming's prison rights landscape is defined by PP 5.400's unique framing of visitation as neither a right nor a privilege but as an incentive program for good institutional conduct (revocable at any time, not applying to ACCs); the tiered PP 3.100 communication continuum and grievance process (verbal, then WDOC Form #320, then WDOC Form #321, then appeal); a two track voting rights system that automatically restores rights for nonviolent first time felons convicted after 2010 upon sentence completion; and facilities including WSP in Rawlins, WMCI in Torrington, and the Wyoming Women's Center in Lusk.

The rights in this guide are real: adequate medical care under the Eighth Amendment, mail per PP 5.401 with legal mail protection and Form #521 for rejected mail, Access Secure Deposits for money transfers, phone access subject to FCC caps, visitation per PP 5.400 as an incentive program (not applying to ACCs), the PP 3.100 tiered grievance process that must be exhausted before federal court, due process in disciplinary hearings, PREA protections, religious accommodation, ADA access, and voting rights automatically restored for eligible nonviolent felons upon sentence completion with a WDOC certificate. Document everything, file every step in the communication continuum, contact the ACLU of Wyoming for systemic concerns, and stay in contact through InmateAid.