Creation of department of corrections; duties; inspections of state institutions; regulation of prisoner produced goods.
Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 25-1-104
in effect(a) The department of corrections is created. The department consists of the director who is the chief administrative officer and such divisions as the director may create.
(b) The department of corrections has general supervision, control and custody of all penal institutions, and responsibility for the maintenance and repair of all buildings and grounds utilized by the institutions. Specifically the department has general supervision and control of, and shall provide for the care and maintenance of all inmates in the following state institutions:
(i) Wyoming state penitentiary;
(ii) Wyoming honor farms and camps;
(iii) Wyoming women's center;
(iv) Wyoming medium correctional institution;
(v) Adult community correctional facilities defined by W.S. 7-18-102(a)(i).
(c) The department of corrections has general supervisory authority over state parolees and, subject to the order of the sentencing court, over probationers for whom the sentencing court requests supervision under W.S. 7-13-410(b).
(d) The director shall:
(i) Personally inspect all state institutions under the department's supervision and control at least once every year;
(ii) Direct the general management of all state penal institutions enumerated in W.S. 25-1-104(b) and be responsible for the proper disbursement of all funds appropriated for their maintenance;
(iii) Direct the general management of the state probation and parole program; and
(iv) Appoint, prescribe the duties of, and remove at will the following officers:
(A) Wardens of the Wyoming state penitentiary, medium correctional institution, women's center and Wyoming honor farms and camps;
(B) Repealed by Laws 2005, ch. 93, § 2.
(C) Repealed By Laws 2005, ch. 93, § 2.
(D) The state probation and parole officer.
(e) The officers provided for under W.S. 25-1-104(d)(iv)(A) and (D) shall:
(i) Serve as administrator of and manage the institutions to which they are appointed subject to the supervision of the director;
(ii) Employ personnel necessary and approved by the director and the Wyoming legislature;
(iii) Report to the director as required.
(f) The director may appoint and may remove at will a deputy director and division administrators.
(g) The department shall establish rules and regulations regarding the provision of services and the production of goods by prisoners at all state corrections institutions including but not limited to labor requirements, wage rates, use of goods within the institution of origin, sales price and method of distribution to other institutions or the general public. In promulgating rules relating to correctional industries programs authorized by W.S. 25-13-101 through 25-13-107, the department shall adhere to the requirements of the private sector prison industry enhancement certification program of the federal bureau of justice assistance. Rules and regulations promulgated under this subsection shall place limitations on competition with the private sector and will ensure that no contract entered into under W.S. 25-13-101 through 25-13-107 will result in the displacement of employed workers in the state in excess of limitations established by the correctional industries advisory board created by W.S. 25-13-102.
(h) The department of corrections has general supervision and control of, and shall provide for the care and maintenance of all inmates who have been placed in institutions of other jurisdictions or private entities pursuant to contracts or agreements under W.S. 25-1-105(e).
(j) The director may order returned to the custody of the department any person under the department's jurisdiction. The written order of the director shall be sufficient warrant for any peace officer to return to actual custody any escaped state prisoner or any state prisoner released prior to his scheduled release date or who is about to be released by another jurisdiction prior to his scheduled release date in Wyoming. It is the duty of all peace officers to execute the order of the director issued under this subsection in like manner as ordinary criminal process. A person taken into custody under the order of the director is not subject to release on bail. Consistent with W.S. 7-3-201 through 7-3-227, the director may apply to the governor to seek the extradition of an inmate apprehended in another state pursuant to an order of the director issued under this subsection.
(k) The department of corrections shall issue certificates of restoration of rights pursuant to W.S. 7-13-105(b), (c), (f) and (j).
Source: WY Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title25.pdfFetched: 10/4/2026