Every weekday at 2 p.m., men in orange jumpsuits file into a Casper courtroom for their first appearance before a judge.

Some of the men face charges for violent crimes such as domestic abuse, assault, rape and, on a rare occasion, murder.

Most, however, are there for nonviolent crimes: drunken driving, drug possession, shoplifting or burglary.

Some of the inmates, both violent and nonviolent offenders, will eventually serve probation or spend time at a local halfway house, called the Casper Re-Entry Center. But statistics show many of them, however, will spend time behind bars.

Similar scenes play out in other courtrooms across the state. Wyoming is one of few in the country with an increasing incarceration rate, which is driving up prison costs at a time when the state is experiencing a budget shortfall.

The state is left with two choices: reform criminal sentencing laws or spend nearly $20 million to update and expand prisons.