Some Wyoming inmates housed in a Mississippi private prison will begin trickling back into the state by the end of September, officials said Thursday. But state corrections officials say more inmates will take their place due to overcrowding and staffing issues.
Carl Voigtsberger, who oversees inmate housing for the Wyoming Department of Corrections, said about 10 prisoners currently held in the Mississippi facility will return to Wyoming. He was not able to say exactly how many people would come back, but said those who do will mostly be prisoners eligible for parole. Among the returning inmates will also be inmates eligible for low-security facilities like the Wyoming Honor Farm in Riverton and the Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp in Newcastle.
The department announced in April it had sent 88 inmates to the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility, in Tutwiler, Mississippi. The prison is operated by CoreCivic, formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America, which has operated private prisons since the early 1980s.
Mark Horan, corrections department spokesman, said Thursday that for security reasons he could not give a specific date when the upcoming transport will take place. The newly-vacated beds in the Mississippi facility will be filled by a matching number of Wyoming inmates.
