Wyoming Lawmakers Working on New Sentencing Bill

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming lawmakers are working on legislation to keep more offenders out of prison for many nonviolent crimes.

The goal is to reduce the time non-violent offenders spend in prison.

Joint Judiciary Committee co-chair Sen. Leland Christensen, an Alta Republican, says the bill would reduce the inmate population and save the Wyoming Department of Corrections money.

Critics say the bill could strip judges of sentencing authority and give too much leeway to probation supervisors.