USP Canaan is a 170,000-square-yard (140,000 m2) facility designed by David R. Cassara Associates, Structural Engineering and Consulting of Rochester, New York for $141 million.[3] USP Canaan opened in March 2005 and is designed to house 1088 male inmates in six housing units. Six V-shaped buildings facing each other and a larger maintenance building surround a central yard with a tower in the middle. Six additional towers are lined along the rectangular-shaped facility. The facility is surrounded by a lethal electrical double fence.
Cells are approximately 4 m × 2 m (13.1 ft × 6.6 ft) in size, equipped with a bunkbed, a stainless-steel sink-toilet combination, and a small table with a non-removable stool. Cells are usually occupied by two inmates and are air conditioned. The administrative and disciplinary unit, called the Special Housing Unit, can hold approximately 250 inmates. Cells in the disciplinary unit have showers and are occupied by two inmates.
Units A1 & A2, closest to the dining area and the Receiving & Discharge area, are primarily used for inmates in transit. One-unit houses Minimum and Low security inmates in transit and the other housing Medium and Maximum-security inmates. Administrative Maximum custody inmates are generally housed in the SHU during transit.
These units have also been used when the USP Canaan SHU is filled beyond capacity. Inmates will then be locked in a cell without a shower and only be able to shower three times weekly.
Inmate transit usually occurs at least twice a week to and from USP Canaan with Monday being the “airlift” day where inmates are brought to the Harrisburg airport by bus for secure transit to another prison. The trips to the next prison occur either by another bus trip or a flight on what is often called “Con Air” (operated by US MarshalsJustice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System or JPATS).
Tuesday is generally the transit day for inmates going to or from MDC Brooklyn and MCC Manhattan (when it was open).
Notable incidents
Four inmate murders have taken place at USP Canaan since its opening in 2005.
On April 25, 2010, Allen Hurley, an inmate serving a 37-year sentence for multiple armed robberies, became involved in a physical altercation with Joseph O'Kane while they were both in Hurley's cell. Hurley pulled out a homemade prison knife known as a shank, and stabbed O'Kane 92 times. O'Kane, an associate of the Gambino Crime Family in New York City who was serving a life sentence for racketeering and murder, died at the scene. Hurley was convicted of manslaughter on 21 June 2012 and was sentenced to life in prison in September 2012.[4][5][6] Hurley is now incarcerated at ADX Florence.
On August 23, 2010, inmate Jose Antonio Perez, the leader of a major drug trafficking ring in Hartford, Connecticut, died of a single stab wound to the neck. Perez was serving a life sentence for drug trafficking and murder for hire in connection with the 2002 shooting death of Theodore Casiano, the leader of a rival drug trafficking organization.[7][8] Perez's murder remains under investigation.
On January 11, 2013, inmate Ephraim Goitom was pronounced dead at a hospital about an hour after a fight. Goitom had been serving a 25-year sentence for shooting a police officer during a raid on Goitom's home.
On February 25, 2013, an inmate of the prison attacked and murdered Correction Officer Eric Williams, 34, of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania.[9]Jessie Con-ui, already jailed for life for slaying a gang rival in Arizona, was identified as the suspect in the murder of Williams. Con-ui and two other gang members fatally shot Carlos Garcia outside a laundry facility in East Phoenix, Ariz. in August 2002 to "further or assist" the gang's criminal conduct, according to state prosecutors and Maricopa County, Ariz. court records. Con-ui, 36, was scheduled to complete his federal sentence in September 2013 and would have immediately been returned to Arizona to begin serving his life term for the 2002 murder. Con-ui, at the time of the incident, was serving an 11-year term for gang-related drug trafficking.[10]
Other incidents: In June 2011, 300 inmates and several staff members became ill after eating chicken in the prison dining room. The Pennsylvania Department of Health was called in to investigate and determined that the cause was salmonella poisoning. The incident constituted one of the largest institutional outbreaks of salmonella poisoning in US history. No one became critically ill.[11]
US citizen and President of the Cambodian Freedom Fighters; convicted in 2008 of leading a series of deadly attacks against civilian and government targets in an attempt to oust Cambodian Prime MinisterHun Sen in 2000.[16][17]
Transferred to ADX Florence. Serving eight concurrent life sentences.
One of the four members of the British "ISIS Beatles" and also known as "Jihadi George". Kotey was convicted of hostage taking and providing material support to a terror organization for his role in the kidnapping, torture, and murders of dozens European and American citizens between 2012 and 2015. Kotey was convicted of beheading and torturing four Americans in 2021 and sentenced to life in prison. Another member of the "ISIS Beatles", El Shafee Elsheikh, was also tried and convicted and received a life sentence.[18][19]
Gambino crime family soldier, sentenced to life in prison for racketeering, armed robbery, kidnapping, extortion, and four murders, including the murder of Brooklyn court officer Albert Gelb, who was murdered four days before he was set to testify against Carneglia in court. [23][24]
Transferred to USP Coleman. Serving a life sentence.
Gang leader in Staten Island, New York; murdered NYPD Detectives James Nemorin and Rodney Andrews, who were conducting a sting operation to buy an illegal gun in 2003. Wilson was initially on death row before having his sentence reduced to life without parole on the grounds of that he was mentally disabled.[26][27]
Transferred to USP Coleman. Serving a 24-year sentence plus 20 years; scheduled for release on June 9, 2034.
Former US Army Ranger; pleaded guilty to bank robbery in 2008 for masterminding the takeover robbery of a bank in Tacoma, Washington; pleaded guilty in 2010 to attempting to solicit the murder of an Assistant United States Attorney.[28][29][30]
John Rigas was released in 2016; Timothy Rigas was released on January 14, 2022.[34]
Father and son executives at Adelphia Communications Corporation; convicted in 2004 of bank fraud and other charges for stealing millions of dollars from the company and concealing its debt from investors to keep its stock price high.[35]
An American who was sentenced to life in prison without parole for possession and distribution of LSD (or "acid") under the federal three-strikes law. In August 2016, after serving 24 years and 27 days behind bars, Tyler was granted clemency by President Barack Obama.
An American political consultant and former campaign chairman for US president Donald Trump, Manafort was found guilty of tax fraud, bank fraud, and witness tampering.
Serving a 5 year and three month sentence; scheduled for release on April 25, 2026.
American rapper Pooh Shiesty was sentenced to five years and three months in prison for his gun conspiracy conviction linked to a confrontation outside a Florida hotel in October 2020 that ended with a man shot in the buttocks.[36]
