Converse County Detention Center

People booked on new charges go before a judge within 72 hours of the arrest, and bond is set at that time. State law lists which judges may set bail (W.S. 7-10-104(a)). In Douglas, most bail is set by the Circuit Court of the 8th Judicial District in Suite E of 1201 Mesa Drive, Douglas, WY 82633.

After an arrest without a warrant, the person must be freed unless a judge finds probable cause inside 72 hours. Probable cause means there's solid ground to think a crime took place (W.R.Cr.P. 5(a)). A felony bond carries over when the case goes up to District Court, unless that judge changes it (W.S. 7-10-103).

The jail can't answer questions about charges or bond amounts. Call the courts during business hours instead: Circuit Court at 307-358-2196 or District Court at 307-358-3165.

A judge reads the person's written release request along with the charges (W.R.Cr.P. 46.1(a)(1)) and then chooses one of these:

• Personal promise. Free to go after signing, as long as every court date is kept.
• Promise plus rules. Release depends on following orders, such as a curfew or no alcohol.
• Cash bond. The full amount is paid to the court and held there.
• Commercial bond. A licensed bonding company stands behind the whole bail, and you pay that company a fee.
• Other security. Wyoming law also names "cash, appearance bond or other security," so a judge may allow some other kind of guarantee (W.S. 7-10-103).

Breaking any release rule can lead to a new arrest and a stricter bond.

For many misdemeanors, Circuit Court follows the statewide Uniform Bail and Forfeiture Schedule. Court costs and the required fees are already built into these prices:

• Group A offenses: $85
• Group B: $100
• Group C: $150. Examples are an open container in a moving car and having no driver's license.
• Group D: $250. Careless driving is in this group.
• Group E: $450. This covers driving under suspension or revocation.
• Fishing without a license when 14 or older: $250
• Not showing up on a required-appearance charge: $250

A charge missing from the schedule is "must appear," and only a judge can name the bail. That group includes DUI, theft, battery, drug possession and domestic battery. Felonies never use a schedule. The judge sets each one after weighing the charge, the person's history and how rooted they are in the community.

You can pay a bond by card right in the jail lobby at 1201 Mesa Drive, Suite C, Douglas, WY 82633, or by phone at any hour. The service has been in place since 2021. Here is how it works:

• Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover are taken.
• The phone line, 888-604-7888, runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• An 8.5% fee is added to every card payment, in person or by phone.
• One payment can be no more than $50,000.
• You need the inmate's full name and inmate ID number.

Checks and other payment types are no longer taken at the booking window. If you want to pay a bond some other way, such as cash, ask the jail first at 307-358-4700.

The state courts share the jail's building. The Clerk of District Court is in Suite F, 1201 Mesa Drive, Douglas, WY 82633, 307-358-3165, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. That office takes Visa, Mastercard and Discover for payments. Ask the clerk if a bond can be paid at the counter.

City tickets in Douglas are paid at City Hall, 101 North 4th Street, Douglas, WY 82633, 307-358-3462. Bring cash, a check or a money order. Cards work only during office hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Payment for city fines is in person. Glenrock court fines can be paid online or in person to the police dispatcher, who is on duty all day and night, at 219 South 3rd Street, Glenrock, WY 82637, 307-436-2777.

For a jail bond, a credit or debit card is the clear choice, either at the lobby or through 888-604-7888. Remember the 8.5% fee. On a $1,000 bond, that adds $85.

Some tickets can be settled on the state court payment site, but it can't be used to post bail. Don't send cash through the mail.

A bonding company promises the court it will pay the full bail if the person misses court. You pay the company a fee for taking that risk. The Wyoming Supreme Court's rules decide whether a surety is good for the money (W.S. 7-10-102). Bonds backed by an insurer can only be written by someone who holds a Wyoming insurance license.

• Fees are not returned, even after a case is thrown out.
• You may have to put up collateral, like a title or deed.
• A co-signer can end up owing the full bail.
• Get a copy of everything you sign.

The state insurance department's Consumer Affairs line can confirm a license: 106 E 6th Ave, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7402. Before you hire a company, check with the court that the judge will accept a bond company.

Each case needs its own bail. Common holds include:

• A Douglas or Glenrock city charge on top of the state case.
• A warrant from somewhere else in Wyoming. If that county's judge sets bond on video, there is a 24-hour period to post it in Douglas before the person is moved (W.R.Cr.P. 46.1(g)).
• A probation or parole hold.
• A detainer from federal officers or immigration.

Ask the jail what holds are on file before you pay. A paid bond won't open the door if another case is still waiting.

Very rarely. The state constitution promises bail in all cases except capital crimes when the proof is evident or the presumption great, and it bars excessive bail (Wyo. Const. art. 1, sec. 14; W.S. 7-10-101(b)). Judges deal with danger or flight risk by raising the amount or adding rules.

The prosecutor in bail hearings comes from the Converse County Attorney's Office, 1201 Mesa Drive, Suite D, Douglas, WY 82633, 307-358-5020. It is open weekdays from 8 to 5.

Yes, sometimes. The handwritten release request from jail is the first chance. Steady work, a home address, relatives close by and a way to reach court all help.

A lawyer can also file a motion, a written request, asking the judge to lower the bond or ease the rules. District Court can take another look at felony bail once it has the case (W.S. 7-10-103). Its clerk is at 307-358-3165. For a city case, call the Douglas court clerk at 307-358-3462.

The State Public Defender provides lawyers for people who can't pay. Call the main office, 316 West 22nd Street, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7519, to find the lawyer who covers Converse County. A judge decides who is "needy" (W.S. 7-6-106):

• Under 125% of federal poverty guidelines: yes.
• From 125% to 218%: maybe, at the judge's choice.
• Above 218%: no, except in some hard felony cases.

Tell the judge at the first hearing that you need a lawyer. Free civil help may also be available from Legal Aid of Wyoming, 877-432-9955.

• Circuit Court, 8th Judicial District: 1201 Mesa Drive, Suite E, Douglas, WY 82633, 307-358-2196. Misdemeanors, first appearances and bail. Open weekdays 8 to 5.
• District Court, 8th Judicial District: 1201 Mesa Drive, Suite F, Douglas, WY 82633, 307-358-3165. Felonies, youth cases and appeals.
• Douglas Municipal Court: City Council Chambers, downstairs at 101 North 4th Street, Douglas, WY 82633, 307-358-3462. Every other Tuesday at 9 a.m.
• Glenrock Municipal Court: Town Hall, 219 South 3rd Street, Glenrock, WY 82637, 307-436-9294. Meets at 6:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month.
• U.S. District Court: Ewing T. Kerr Federal Building, 111 South Wolcott, Room 121, Casper, WY 82601, 307-232-2620.

Cash bail comes back at the end of the case if the person made every hearing. Fines and costs can be taken out first. Keep the clerk up to date on where to mail the check.

Ask the court that holds the money when it will be sent: Circuit Court at 307-358-2196 or District Court at 307-358-3165. The 8.5% card fee is a charge for using a card and may not come back with the bond. Ask the court about it.

If the person skips court, the bail can be forfeited and sent to the county school fund (W.S. 7-10-105).

Any cash a person carries when booked goes into their jail account. Friends and family can add more:

• At the lobby kiosk, 1201 Mesa Drive, Suite C, Douglas, WY 82633, with a $4.00 fee for cash or a 10% fee for a card.
• Online by card through the commissary deposit service.

If the person owes the jail money, part of each deposit pays that debt. The account buys snacks, hygiene items and extra clothes, and it can be moved to phone time. At release, the leftover balance is given back on a debit card. Our guide to sending money has more. For questions about personal property, call 307-358-4700.

Federal charges go to the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming. From Douglas, the closest office is the Ewing T. Kerr Federal Building in Casper, 111 South Wolcott, Room 121, Casper, WY 82601, 307-232-2620.

A federal magistrate holds a detention hearing at the first appearance unless either side asks for a short delay. Any delay is short: no more than five days when requested by the defense, or three when the prosecutor requests it, and the person stays in custody meanwhile (18 U.S.C. 3142(f)). Pretrial officers in Room 300 of the Casper building, Casper, WY 82601, 307-232-2670, report to the judge. Once a sentence starts, find the person through the BOP inmate locator.

Posting bail won't end an immigration hold. Here's the usual order of events:

1. Immigration officers send the jail a Form I-247A detainer.
2. The person can be kept up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Officers pick the person up and move them to an ICE facility.
4. Track them on the ICE Online Detainee Locator. Enter the A-number and country of birth, or the full name exactly as recorded plus country of birth.

Converse County falls under ICE's Cheyenne check-in office, 7052 Commerce Circle, Suite 130, Cheyenne, WY 82007, 307-432-7440.

Jail time on a misdemeanor is served in Douglas. Felony prison sentences are carried out by the Wyoming Department of Corrections, which reviews them and then assigns a prison.

Check the WDOC offender locator by name or inmate number after the transfer. Our Wyoming state prisons pages describe each one. Department headquarters: 1934 Wyott Drive, Suite 100, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7208.

Wyoming wants arrested kids sent home with a parent or a responsible adult. Officers may detain a child only to protect people or property or to keep the child from running off, and they must reach a parent quickly (W.S. 14-6-206). A detained child must see a judge in 48 hours or less, with weekend days and holidays skipped in that count, and is kept away from adult inmates (W.S. 14-6-207 and 14-6-209).

Youth cases are heard in District Court and stay confidential. For a teen held in this county, call the jail at 307-358-4700 to learn where they were taken, or ask the County Attorney's Office at 307-358-5020.

The key is the longest sentence a charge can carry. Over a year in prison means a felony, and a year or less means a misdemeanor (W.S. 6-10-101). Each court has its own job:

• Circuit Court takes misdemeanors, bail, first appearances and the probable cause hearing in felonies.
• District Court takes felonies once they are bound over, or passed up, from Circuit Court. It is also the juvenile court and hears appeals from the lower courts.
• Municipal courts in Douglas and Glenrock take cases about breaking city or town laws.

The county belongs to Wyoming's 8th Judicial District, and two district judges hear cases here. Federal crimes are handled by the U.S. District Court, with offices in Casper and Cheyenne.

• Circuit Court of the 8th Judicial District: 1201 Mesa Drive, Suite E, Douglas, WY 82633, 307-358-2196. Mail goes to PO Box 45. Hours run 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. This court used to be called County Court.
• District Court of the 8th Judicial District: 1201 Mesa Drive, Suite F, Douglas, WY 82633, 307-358-3165. Same hours. The jury message line is 307-358-0647.

The old county courthouse at 107 North 5th Street holds county offices, not the criminal courts. Court staff can help with forms but can't give legal advice. The District Court clerk takes Visa, Mastercard and Discover.

Douglas Municipal Court meets every other Tuesday at 9 a.m. in the City Council Chambers, downstairs at 101 North 4th Street, Douglas, WY 82633. The clerk answers at 307-358-3462, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mail goes to ATTN: Municipal Court, P.O. Box 1030. Fines are paid in person with cash, check or money order, and cards are taken during office hours.

Glenrock Municipal Court meets the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 219 South 3rd Street, Glenrock, WY 82637. Its clerk is at 307-436-9294, extension 221. Pay fines online or hand them to the police dispatcher, who works 24 hours.

Rolling Hills and Lost Springs send their cases to Circuit Court.

A person booked on a new charge sees a judge within 72 hours. At this hearing the judge:

• Reads out each charge and the most punishment it can bring.
• Explains the right to remain silent and the right to a lawyer, with a free one for those who qualify.
• Sets bail and any rules for release (W.R.Cr.P. 5).

A misdemeanor plea can be made at once or later. In a felony, no plea is taken yet. The judge sets a preliminary hearing instead.

From start to finish, a misdemeanor stays in Circuit Court. It can be settled with a plea agreement, dismissed or taken to trial, and the defendant may ask that a jury decide. The four allowed pleas are not guilty, not guilty by reason of mental illness, guilty, and no contest if the judge permits (W.R.Cr.P. 11).

The largest penalties allowed:

• Standard misdemeanor: half a year in jail, $750, or both (W.S. 6-10-103).
• Battery: the same six months and $750. Simple assault without injury has a fine limit of $750 (W.S. 6-2-501).
• Domestic battery: six months and $750 on a first offense, and up to one year and $1,000 for a second within five years (W.S. 6-2-511).
• Theft under $1,000: one year, $1,500, or both since the change on July 1, 2026 (W.S. 6-3-402).

On top of fines, expect a $40 court automation fee and a $10 fee for civil legal services.

1. Initial appearance before the Circuit Court judge.
2. Preliminary hearing, also in Circuit Court, to test whether there is probable cause. It happens within 10 days for a jailed person and 20 days for one who is out. The defendant can give it up (W.R.Cr.P. 5(c) and 5.1).
3. Bind-over, which sends the case down the hall to District Court.
4. Arraignment, where the defendant pleads in District Court.
5. Trial, set no more than 180 days after arraignment unless the judge approves extra time (W.R.Cr.P. 48(b)).
6. Sentencing, held with the defendant in the room rather than on video.

Burglary is punishable by 10 years and a $10,000 fine at most (W.S. 6-3-301). Stealing property worth $1,000 or more, or stealing a gun, a horse or livestock, also tops out at 10 years. Under the law in effect since July 1, 2026, the third theft is a felony even if the item was cheap (W.S. 6-3-402).

These bring the toughest sentences. Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon can mean as long as 10 years, and some forms of it carry 5 to 25 years (W.S. 6-2-502). Aggravated burglary, where the burglar is armed or someone is hurt, means 5 to 25 years plus up to $50,000 (W.S. 6-3-301(c)). After two earlier convictions in ten years, domestic battery becomes a felony punishable by as much as 10 years.

Even here, bail usually stays on the table. The constitution allows holding without bail only in capital cases where guilt is clear (Wyo. Const. art. 1, sec. 14). A 14-year-old can be charged in adult court for a violent felony. Get a lawyer involved from day one.

The County Attorney's Office prosecutes state felonies and misdemeanors that happen anywhere in the county. It is at 1201 Mesa Drive, Suite D, Douglas, WY 82633, 307-358-5020, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Staff there can't give legal advice to defendants.

Defendants without money for a lawyer can request one through the State Public Defender. Its head office is at 316 West 22nd Street, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7519, and can connect you with the lawyer assigned to this area. The judge rules on who qualifies. Income below 125% of the federal poverty level qualifies automatically (W.S. 7-6-106). For other legal questions, Legal Aid of Wyoming is at 307-432-0807 and University of Wyoming Legal Services is at 307-766-2104.

Call the clerk's office and give the defendant's complete name and date of birth:

• Misdemeanors and felonies still in their early stage: Circuit Court, 307-358-2196.
• Felonies that have been bound over: District Court, 307-358-3165.
• Douglas city court: 307-358-3462.
• Glenrock town court: 307-436-9294, extension 221.

The paperwork given at release also lists the next date. If a case is appealed to the state's highest court, look it up in the Wyoming Supreme Court case search.

The Sheriff's Office serves arrest warrants throughout the county. To ask whether one exists, call 307-358-4700. Dispatch answers that line day and night and will pass your call to the right person. You can also phone the court clerk for the case to check, since Wyoming offers no statewide warrant search by name. Clearing a warrant usually means turning yourself in at the jail, 1201 Mesa Drive, Suite C, Douglas, WY 82633, with a lawyer's help, or asking the court to reset the date. You can reach the Circuit Court clerk at 1201 Mesa Drive, Suite E, Douglas, WY 82633, 307-358-2196.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming hears them. The Casper clerk's office is the closest: Ewing T. Kerr Federal Building, 111 South Wolcott, Room 121, Casper, WY 82601, 307-232-2620. It is open weekdays, closing for lunch from noon to 1 p.m.

A detention hearing early in the case decides release (18 U.S.C. 3142). Pretrial officers in Room 300 of that building, Casper, WY 82601, 307-232-2670, give the judge background on the defendant. Before trial, the U.S. Marshals keep custody from Room 138, 111 South Wolcott, Casper, WY 82601, 307-261-5411. Sentenced federal prisoners appear in the Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

An immigration hold runs separately from the criminal case:

1. ICE files Form I-247A with the jail, asking it to keep the person.
2. The jail can hold the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)). Posted bail or a dropped charge doesn't stop this.
3. Officers then move the person to an immigration center.
4. Family can search the ICE detainee locator with an A-number or with a name and country of birth.

The check-in office in Cheyenne serves this county: 7052 Commerce Circle, Suite 130, Cheyenne, WY 82007, 307-432-7440. A defendant who isn't a citizen should learn the immigration effects of any plea from a lawyer first.

Short misdemeanor sentences are done at the jail in Douglas. People sent to prison for a felony go to the Wyoming Department of Corrections, which studies each new prisoner before picking a facility.

The WDOC locator finds state prisoners by last name or offender number. Our Wyoming state prisons section has a page for each one. Department of Corrections main office: 1934 Wyott Drive, Suite 100, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7208.

Charges against someone under 18 are heard in District Court, and the files are sealed from the public. The clerk is in Suite F, 1201 Mesa Drive, Douglas, WY 82633, 307-358-3165.

Age matters under W.S. 14-6-203. If a child under 13 is accused of a felony, the case has to stay in juvenile court. Adult charges are possible for a 17-year-old on any felony, and for a youth of 14 or more on a violent felony. Transfers in either direction are up to a judge, who weighs how serious it is, how mature the youth is and their record (W.S. 14-6-237).

The County Attorney's Office handles these cases. Call 307-358-5020 with questions about the process.

The Victim and Witness Bill of Rights (W.S. 1-40-201 to 1-40-210) lets victims:

• Learn when the accused is set free before trial or sentencing.
• Be present at hearings the accused attends, unless a judge rules they must stay out for good cause.
• Describe their losses and injuries to the court before the sentence.

Where to get help nearby:

• County Attorney's Victim/Witness Program: 1201 Mesa Drive, Suite D, Douglas, WY 82633, 307-358-5020.
• Converse HOPE Center, for domestic violence and sexual assault: 126 N. 5th St., Douglas, WY 82633, 307-358-6148, 24-hour crisis line 307-358-4800. Its Glenrock office is at 506 W. Birch, Ste. 10, Glenrock, WY 82637, 307-436-5410.
• Memorial Hospital of Converse County sexual assault nurse program: 111 South 5th Street, Douglas, WY 82633, 307-358-2122, extension 1665.

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