Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp & Boot Camp

The Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp & Wyoming Boot Camp is a correctional facility for both adult and juvenile male inmates. This facility is located in Newcastle, Wyoming and is operated by the Wyoming Department of Corrections.

The Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp (WHCC) was built in 1989 by 24 minimum-custody inmates. They constructed modular buildings that became the administrative offices, barracks, and the kitchen/dining facility.

Now, WHCC has three dorms that can house up to 238 minimum-security inmates. Inside the confines there is a secure boot camp which houses 56 inmates. The Wyoming Boot Camp is the youthful offender program in the state, which was created by the Wyoming legislature in 1987.

The Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp system is a joint effort between the Wyoming DOC and the state's Forestry Division. Inmates at this facility are part of forestry work crews, which fall into four different categories: forestry projects, firefighting projects, community service projects, and federal projects.

Forestry Projects are conducted on state land and typically follow the timber/state land management activities. They include pre-commercial thinning; salvaging of cut wood into posts, firewood, or saw logs; slash burning; erosion control; tree planting and transplanting; pine seed collection; and insect and disease suppression including biological control of leafy spurge.

The Forestry Program, when at capacity, can employ up to 63 inmates at the WHCC. The forestry work crews have been widely accepted in the local communities.

Inmates who are part of the firefighting projects can be divided into two categories. Inmates trained in wildland firefighting can fight any wildland fire in Wyoming, as well as in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The second category is controlled/prescribed burns, and these inmates are called "Smoke Busters."

This is a program that holds a lot of respect and pride in the local community. It provides experience for the inmates that can carry over into a career upon their reentry into society.

Inmates who are part of the Community Service Projects do general maintenance for city and county agencies, hazardous waste clean up, living snow fence planting, and maintenance for conservation districts.

Inmates who work on federal projects perform a variety of services, and they can be for any federal agency.

The Boot Camp is currently a 180-day highly-structured program for first time male offenders younger than 25 years old. These offenders must have a court ordered recommendation. The Youthful Offender Program gives the successful graduates an opportunity for a sentence reduction and serves as an alternative to long-term incarceration. 

The 180-day program consists of four phases, and the routine day starts at 4:00 am and ends at 9:00 pm. Nearly six hours of each day are devoted to physical activity. There are also educational and therapeutic programs available, as well as various work details. If an inmate at Boot Camp doesn't have their high school diploma or GED, they are required to earn their GED before graduation.

Upon completion of the program graduates are released to straight probation, Intensive Supervision Program (ISP), or to an Adult Community Corrections facility.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting Hours at Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp & Wyoming Boot Camp are:

Minimum inmates at the Honor Conservation Camp:
Friday 5:00 – 7:30 pm, check in between 4:45 and 5:15
Saturday, Sunday and Holidays 1:00 pm – 7:30 pm, check in between 1:00 pm and 5:30 pm

Boot camp:
Sunday only, 10:30 am –12:30 pm, check in between 10:15 am and 10:45 am.

General Visiting Rules

You must fill out a visitor application and get approval before visiting an inmate at the Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp & Wyoming Boot Camp. Current photo ID’s are required for visitors age 16 and over to enter a Department of Corrections facility.

All individuals entering upon Wyoming Department of Corrections (WDOC)property are subject to random searches of their person, property and vehicles, to include search by a WDOC canine team. By entering upon the property, you grant consent to be searched.

Property, including mail and photographs, can't be brought in to the inmate through the visiting process. Visitors must secure their personal property such as purses, keys, wallets, money,

coats, hats, blankets, etc. in a visitor locker or leave these items locked within their secured vehicle in the parking lot. 

No cash or negotiable instruments other than up to $20 in change, tokens, or other authorized cash substitute devices are allowed in the visiting room/area. Tokens carried into the visiting area must be clearly inspected and approved by visiting room staff.

Baby-care items are permitted as follows per child: up to six diapers; up to two empty clear bottles (plastic) or one clear sippy cup; one single layer blanket; one pacifier; two teething toys; one sealed unopened carton/container of milk (not to exceed one-pint in size), or one sealed unopened powdered milk container, or sealed unopened individual powder or liquid formula packs; and diaper wipes (in clear plastic bag or in unopened sealed package). 

All items are subject to search. No baby seats or carriers will be permitted.Other than items from the vending machines, visitors shall not exchange any object or article with an inmate.

Paper items produced by children during the visiting session with materials provided may be taken out by the child or displayed in the visiting room.

Visitors are not permitted to bring cameras, audio/video recording equipment, cell phones, or any other electronic devices into the correctional facility.

Money orders or cashier’s checks will be accepted from visitors during visitation for later posting to inmate’s accounts – NO CASH OR PERSONAL CHECKS WILL BE ACCEPTED. 

All money orders and cashier’s checks must be clearly marked with the inmate’s name and number and given to the receptionist, or placed into a designated secure drop box if so directed.

Dress Code

In order to maintain a positive environment for all inmates and visitors, a reasonable clothing standard has been established. Visitors are encouraged to wear clothing that is conservative in nature in order to maintain a respectful visiting environment. 

Some types of clothing are prohibited to maintain the security of the facility. Visitors are not allowed to wear blue denim or other clothing that is similar to inmate attire. This restriction is necessary to ensure the safety of all individuals if an emergency arises. Children shorter than three feet tall are permitted to wear blue denim. 

Clothing that is unduly suggestive or form fitting is prohibited. Dresses, skirts, jumpers, culottes, and shorts shall not be worn more than two inches above the middle of the kneecap. Slit dresses/skirts shall be permitted only if the slit is not more than two inches above the middle of the kneecap. Wrap-around skirts are not permitted.

Clothing that exposes an undue amount of flesh (e.g., exposing chest, back, thighs, or midsection) is prohibited. Examples of clothing that will be prohibited include: halter

tops/dress, tube tops, see-through clothing, sheer fabrics, mini-skirts, shirts with low cut necklines, wrap around skirts, and crop tops. Visitors are required to wear undergarments.

Umbrellas, hats, outer garments such as raincoats, ski jackets and other garments that protect against rain and other inclement weather are normally prohibited within the main visiting room. Sweatshirts with hoods are not permitted inside the visiting area at any time.

Clothing, hairstyles, insignias or other paraphernalia associated with security threat groups (gangs) or that create undue attention or conflict are prohibited; i.e., clothing with slogans, suggestive, or controversial statements.

Footwear must be worn.

Processing may require the removal of shoes, jackets, sweaters, suspenders, belts or other accessories for closer inspection and/or separate processing. Areas of the body that have body piercings and/or undergarments with an underwire often alarm metal detectors and may delay or even prevent visiting. Visitors may be asked to remove body piercings and/or jewelry to expedite the screening process.

How to Call an Inmate

You can't call an inmate at Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp & Wyoming Boot Camp, but they do have access to phones. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Wyoming, please click here.

How to Send Money

You can send money to your inmate at Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp & Wyoming Boot Camp online, over the phone or through their walk-in partners Ace Cash Express and CashPayToday.  

In an effort to improve the efficiency and security regarding inmate deposits, Access Secure Deposits now offers the following payment options for family and friends of the Wyoming Department of Corrections inmates:

Toll-Free Phone Deposits            
As low as $3.95  
1-866-345-1884    

Internet Deposit
As low as $2.95
www.accesscorrections.com                

Walk-in Location
Flat fee of $5.95
www.cashpaytoday.com or www.acecashexpress.com

Access Secure Deposits takes all MasterCard and Visa debit and credit cards. Additional information is also located at www.accesscorrections.com under Frequently Asked Questions.

Programs For Inmates

• Drug and Alcohol Abuse Programs
• Education Programs
• Recreational Programs
• Faith Based Groups
• Cognitive Behavior Intervention Programs

Inmates at Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp & Wyoming Boot Camp perform general maintenance at:

• Weston County and Crook County Fairgrounds
• Wyoming State Fairgrounds
• Newcastle, Upton, Lusk, Moorcroft, and Sundance city parks
• Baseball fields in Newcastle, Upton, and Moorcroft
• Newcastle, Upton, Lusk, Moorcroft, and Four Corners cemeteries
• Newcastle, Upton and Moorcroft museums
• Weston County, Crook County, Niobrara County and Johnson County Conservation Districts
• Keyhole State Park
• Newcastle Fire Hall and Fire District shop
• Weston County Road and Bridge
• Weston County Public Health, Library, Law Enforcement, Courthouse and Visitors Center

Other activities include:

• Landfill cleanup for the cities of Newcastle, Upton, Lusk, Moorcroft, and Gillette
• Post peeling and banding operations
• Thinning, skidding, slash burning, and post & firewood hauling on various state sections
• Firewood processing
• Wildland fire fighting in Wyoming and South Dakota
• Prescribed burning with U.S. Fire Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service
• Bird and bat house construction
• Disaster clean up (tornado and storm damage)
• Adopt-a-Highway cleanup for WYDOT
• Sign construction for numerous governmental agencies
• Weston County community garden development and maintenance

Pictures of Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp & Boot Camp

Careers at Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp & Boot Camp

If you are interested in a career with the Wyoming Department of Corrections and would like more information about job openings at the Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp & Wyoming Boot Camp, click here.