Study: Wyoming is No. 3 Spender on Inmate Health Care

A new report says Wyoming spent about $20.7 million on prison health care services in 2011.

That ranks Wyoming third-highest among states in such spending per inmate.

A study released this past week by the State Health Care Spending Project found Wyoming spent an average of $10,870 on health care per inmate in 2011.

The national average was for states to spend about $6,000 per inmate during that time. Only California and Vermont spent more per inmate than Wyoming.

Wyoming Department of Corrections Director Bob Lampert says the state’s location makes it hard to find inexpensive contractors to provide the health services within the prisons.

Lampert also tells the Wyoming Tribune Eagle that the average Wyoming inmate enters the prison system with more health problems than the typical resident.