Laramie Co’ Jail Might Be Featured On TV Show

Reality TV has been a popular form of entertainment for a long time. It can be informative too. Now there is a chance that the nation can have a look at how the Laramie County Detention Center operates.

The Sheriff's Office has been in discussion with a TV Network over such a behind-the-scenes project, Wyoming News Now reports.

"A lot of producers have reached out to me for various ideas at different shows, and I think we've obtained some national attention with some of the programs that we have in the jail. I've been pretty picky and have eliminated most of them. But this is one that I like because it shows the humanistic side of the jail," said Sheriff Kozak.

If the show is aired, it would be on the Discovery Channel's relatively new show "120 Hours Behind Bars." Over five intense days, 120 Hours Behind Bars delivers an unfiltered look inside America's toughest jails -- where officers are outnumbered, cellblocks are overcrowded, and violence erupts without warning.

The program proposed for Wyoming would show how we do it out West.

Inmates do not have to be in the show if they don't want to be.

But Sheriff Kozak cannot just give the go-ahead. County commissioners must make that decision, so there are sure to be many long meetings.

If approved, then look for a 50-minute episode on streaming platforms like HBO MAX, Discovery Go!, and Hulu.

If you enjoy exploring old Wyoming towns, you might have some fun trying to find where the old jailhouse used to be.

For example, if you know Gillette, Wyoming, you'll find the old jailhouse on what is now a back street in downtown. But you'll have to know what you are looking for, or you'll walk right by it.

Tiny jail. Tiny Jail in City Park

Clearmont, Wyoming: Tiny Jail in Town Park
A tiny, old, two-cell jail stands next to a swing set in the town park and beneath the town water tower. Toss your playground miscreants into the calaboose!

The old town jail in Clearmont, Wyoming

A tiny, historic jail stands amidst the usual modern playground equipment in a city park. The doors are open for visitors to explore at their leisure, although cells no longer lock. The jailhouse is comprised of two tiny cells, apparently used for drunkards during Prohibition. A great little gem to stumble upon!

The old town jail in Shoshoni, Wyoming, is a historic, small-scale structure representing early 20th-century law enforcement, often featured in historical photography collections. It is notable for its small size, typical of frontier-era holding cells used for brief detentions during the town's development.

The old town jail in Shoshoni, Wyoming

School Use: In the early 1900s, the Shoshoni school used the town jailhouse to hold classes for first through fourth graders before a dedicated school building was constructed, according to Shoshoni Schools history.

No matter what Wyoming town you might be in, it is worth hunting around to see if the old jailhouse still stands. Then look into what else it might have been used for when it was not holding someone, like a schoolhouse, of all things. Imagine that.