Report: Wyoming’s prison population increased in 2017

A U.S. Department of Justice report shows Wyoming’s prison population grew the third fastest in the country in 2017.

The Casper Star-Tribune reports the government figures released last week show the population in state prisons increased by 4.2% by the end of 2017.

Wyoming’s prison growth was outpaced by Utah at 4.3% and Idaho at 5.1%.

In Wyoming, 429 people per 100,000 were incarcerated that year. The national rate of state prison incarceration was 390 per 100,000 people.

According to the report, Wyoming had about seven times more men than women in prisons. State prisons across the country had about 12 times more men than women.

Prison populations in 29 states decreased by the end of 2017.