United States Penitentiary - Canaan

United States Penitentiary - Canaan is a high-security U.S Penitentiary with a minimum-security satellite camp located in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. The facility opened in 2005, and is comprised of six housing units. It has a total population of 1,502 inmates, with 160 of them living at the satellite camp. 

Each cell is set up for two inmates to share. They are air-conditioned and consist of a bunk bed, a stainless steel sink-toilet combination, and a small table with a non-removable stool.

Mohammad Shibin, the highest ranking pirate to ever be prosecuted, is currently incarcerated at USP Canaan and is serving a life sentence.  Also serving a life sentence at this facility is Al-Qaeda supporter Abdul Kadir. He was convicted for conspiracy to blow up JFK Airport in Queens, New York in 2007.

Many of USP Canaan’s most notable inmates are from organized crime and drug cartels.

Prison Insights

Special Notices to Visitors -The street address for USP Canaan has recently changed. Make sure and double check that your GPS  is taking you to the correct place. The old address associated with USP Canaan is 3057 Easton Turnpike and IS NO LONGER CORRECT. Visitors must park in the designated visitor area, and will be required to note their parking spot number on the Visitor Form once you have entered into the facility.

Visiting hours at USP Canaan are on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Federal Holidays from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm. The Satellite Camp visiting hours are on Saturday, Sunday, and Federal Holidays from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm.

Authorized visitors who can visit an inmate include family, friends, and associates. You can't visit an inmate unless he puts you on the visiting list.

Everyone must fill out a visitor form, and they must have a relationship with the inmate prior to incarceration. If a potential visitor does not have a prior relationship with the inmate, their request will be reviewed by the warden.

Once the inmate requests to add someone to their visit list, a correctional counselor will provide them with a visiting form, and the inmate is responsible for mailing these out and letting the potential visitor know that they need to fill out the form and return it to the institution staff.

The unit team will do a background check and determine if a visitor application is approved. They make their decision based on constructive and security factors. The process takes about a week, and the unit staff will notify the inmate when the requested visitor is approved or refused.

It is the inmate’s responsibility to notify the visitor of the decision, and the process is the same for both adult and minor visitors.

Inmates will be limited to five total approved adult visitors at any one time. You must be 16 or older to be an adult visitor.

Only the following articles are authorized to be carried into the institution by visitors:

• Wallet or small clear plastic bag (no larger than8x10").
• Money to be used for refreshments, no more than$30.00.
• Photo identification.
• Essential medication will be limited to the amount needed during the visiting period, and will be controlled by the Visiting Room Officer.

The following items will be permitted, per child, when infants are visiting:

• Three Diapers
• One clear package of baby wipes
• One change of infant clothing
• Two clear baby bottles/sippy cups with contents (3/4 full)
• Two small jars of baby food (Unopened)
• One receiving blanket
• One plastic serving spoon
• One small clear plastic tote

All visitors are subject to a visual and pat search by an officer. You will also be scanned by a metal detector. Any item you bring into the facility will be opened and searched by a staff member, and anyone who refuses a search of themselves or their property will not be allowed to visit with the inmate.

All visitors must be dressed in an appropriate manner. Any visitor who arrives inappropriately dressed will be denied the privilege of visiting.

All visitors must be fully attired, including shoes. No open-toed shoes and no strapless heels are authorized. All shoes must be strapped to the foot, and you can’t wear slippers, shower shoes, or flip-flops.

Clothing which is similar to - and resembles the style or color of - what is issued to inmates is not allowed to be worn inside the visiting room.

Visitors should avoid wearing apparel which is revealing or suggestive, or any clothing that contains sexually suggestive/offensive writing or writing/logos that reference gangs.

Visitors can’t wear undergarments containing metal (i.e. underwire bra). Dresses or skirts must be no shorter than knee length, and may not have a slit above the knee.

The following clothing will not be permitted:

• Shorts (unless on a child under the age of 12)
• Sweat suits or Athletic wear
• Items revealing any part of the buttocks or crotch area
• Sheer clothing
• Tank tops
• Halter tops
• Midriff tops
• Strapless tops or dresses
• Spandex
• Bib overalls
• Khaki, dark brown, orange (any clothing)
• Camouflage clothing
• Medical Scrubs or clothing resembling staff uniforms
• Hats, caps, scarfs
• Hooded shirts, jackets or sweaters
• Watches or other electronic wristbands
• No form fitting clothing

There is no limit on the amount of mail that inmates receive, but all correspondence must have the inmate’s complete name, registration number, facility name, and address.

You can only send cards or letters to these addresses. Paperback books, newspapers, and

magazines must come directly from the publisher via a subscription or mail order.

Inmates cannot receive packages through the mail, with the exception of a package of release day clothing. You can't send the release day package until 30 days prior to the scheduled release date.

How to Call an Inmate

Federal inmates are not allowed to have cellphones and they can't receive inbound calls. They can make outbound calls during approved hours, and they must pay for them with the money that is on their personal account or call collect.

Inmates will use TRULINCS to call to both landline and cell phones. This is also how inmates are able to send and receive emails. Your number must be added to the contact list for approval.

All phone calls are limited to 15 minutes, and will be monitored and recorded.

How to Send Money

Sending money is one of most important things you can do for an inmate. The prison will issue each prisoner the minimum amount of clothing and hygiene items, and provide them with three meals a day. But, it is extremely difficult for prisoners to have any level of comfort when living with just the items that are prison-issued.

Inmates can receive outside funds while incarcerated at a BOP-managed facility, which are deposited into their commissary accounts.The process for sending money is the same for USP Canaan and the USP Canaan Satellite Camp.

Postal Service

For federal prisoners, you can send money through the United States Postal Service by MONEY ORDER to the following address:

Federal Bureau of Prisons
Inmate Name
Eight-Digit Register Number
Post Office Box 474701
Des Moines, Iowa 50947-0001

Send the funds to the address above. Replace the second line with the inmate's valid, full committed name. Replace the third line with the inmate's eight digit register number.

Never send money directly to the prison. If you are using the postal service, you must always send your money order to the bureau of prisons using the above address.

MoneyGram

You can send an inmate funds electronically using MoneyGram's Express Payment Program.To send funds using this method, please read and follow these steps carefully:

Wait until an inmate has physically arrived at a USP Canaan.Gather the information you'll need. Which includes the inmate’s name and number.Visit moneygram.com to complete your payment.

Information needed to complete MoneyGram payment:

Account Number: Inmate's eight-digit register number with no spaces or dashes, followed immediately by the inmate's last name (example: 12345678DOE).
Company Name: Federal Bureau of Prisons
City & State: Washington, DC
Receive Code is always: 7932
Beneficiary: Inmate's full committed name

Western Union

If you would like to see a sample Western Union form click here. On their website, they have a special form for sending money to inmates, and you go directly to it by clicking here.

You will need to know the inmate’s full name and number, and you can pay with a debit or credit card at westernunion.com. Remember, any time you send money to an inmate you must always include their name and registration number on everything.

There are a few things that inmates can spend their money on. This includes phone calls, emails, and commissary.  The commissary is the prison store, where inmates can buy things like beverages, meals and snacks, OTC medications, stationary, personal hygiene items, electronics, clothing, or other miscellaneous products.

Please be aware that prisoners have their own economy inside the prison walls just like we do in the real world. Inmates that have a lot of money can do a lot of things both legal and illegal. Prisoners can potentially use the money in their account to buy things for other inmates in exchange for drugs and paraphernalia. This activity is illegal and can get an inmate in a lot of trouble.

Is important to keep track of how much money you are sending your incarcerated loved one, and watch out for any suspicious behavior.

The monthly spend limit is $290 per inmate.

​Programs For ​Inmates

• Job Assignments
• Literacy
• GED
• English as a Second Language (ESL)
• Continuing Education
• High School Diplomas or Post-Secondary Programs via paid correspondence
• Advanced Occupational Education in Culinary Arts
• Vocational training in Horticulture
• Apprenticeships in Electrical, HVAC, and Plumbing.
• Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP)
• Drug Education
• Alcoholic Anonymous
• Narcotics Anonymous
• Challenge Program
• Suicide Prevention
• Religious Programs
• Pre-Release Program

Pictures of United States Penitentiary - Canaan

Careers at United States Penitentiary - Canaan

If you are interested in pursuing a career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, you can find available positions at USP Canaan by visiting USAJobs.gov. The salaries at the facility begin around $40,000 and can go up into the six-figure range, depending on the position.

Reviews from employees at USP Canaan report that it was a stressful environment but good  experience for the right individual. The salary and benefits were mentioned several times on the “Pros list” of this kind of career path.