Inmate Dies at Wayne County’s USP Canaan in Waymart

An inmate, Robert James Turner, died at U.S. Penitentiary Canaan (USP Canaan) in Waymart, Pennsylvania on Dec. 19. He was 57 years old.

Turner was found unresponsive at USP Canaan at approximately 4:05 p.m., according to the U.S. Department of Justice officials.

Responding employees initiated life-saving measures and requested EMS support. EMS personnel later pronounced Turner dead. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was notified, according to officials.

USP Canaan is a high-security federal men’s prison with more than 1,360 incarcerated individuals in Wayne County. In late July, another inmate, Brandon Sharpe, also died at the facility.

Turner had been in custody at USP Canaan since March 17, 2025. He was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, and an additional 41-month sentence for possession of a shank.

Image: Exterior of the U.S. Penitentiary Canaan building (Photo Credit: U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons)