CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union says Wyoming could cut its prison population in half by 2025 with a series of reforms that includes reducing prison sentences for drug crimes and ending prison terms for drug possession convictions.
The advocacy organization says in a report Tuesday that the state could save more than $160 million by adopting the reforms.
The proposed reforms include drastic cuts to sentencing guidelines and a significant reduction to the number of Wyoming residents behind bars as well as expanding access to mental health and addiction treatment.
The ACLU report comes at a time when the Wyoming Legislature has been considering a number of criminal justice reform bills to counter the state’s rising incarceration rates.
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