DOJ Inspection Uncovers Major Safety Failures at Federal Prison in Waymart

The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General has released an inspection report identifying serious operational, healthcare and safety concerns at United States Penitentiary Canaan in Waymart, Pennsylvania.

The OIG announced Thursday that it had completed an unannounced inspection of the high-security federal prison from June 2 through June 5, 2025. The review was part of the agency’s ongoing oversight program of Federal Bureau of Prisons institutions and was the 13th unannounced inspection conducted under that initiative.

Inspectors identified what they described as several serious issues at the prison, including concerns about the use of four-point restraints, limitations on inmate movement due to Special Housing Unit population pressures, gaps in healthcare staffing and treatment, failures in contraband interdiction and inappropriate conduct by employees.

According to the report, multiple staff members said they observed four-point restraints applied too tightly, resulting in swelling and discoloration of inmates’ hands. The OIG also found that required documentation of injuries and monitoring of food and water intake while inmates were restrained was, in some cases, incomplete.

The report said USP Canaan frequently used modified operations to restrict inmate movement due to a high Special Housing Unit population, which in turn disrupted access to programming, medical care and psychological services.

Inspectors also found the prison had not had a full-time on-site physician since November 2022 and cited delays in healthcare and laboratory testing, unsafe medication practices and expired medical supplies. In the dental unit, investigators reported finding sharp instruments and chloroform stored in unlocked cabinets accessible near inmates.

The OIG further reported failures to consistently meet Bureau of Prisons requirements for inmate monitoring and contraband searches, including visible contraband such as tattoo needles and sports gambling materials in housing units. Inspectors also documented employee conduct they described as inappropriate, including demeaning language toward inmates and sexually explicit remarks transmitted over official radio channels, as well as offensive imagery in staff-only areas.

The report issued nine recommendations to improve operations and safety. The Bureau of Prisons agreed with all recommendations.

In December 2025, Radio Catskill reported on an inmate death at the facility.

A 57-year-old inmate, Robert James Turner, was found unresponsive in his cell at USP Canaan on Dec. 19, 2025, at about 4:05 p.m., according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Staff began life-saving measures before emergency medical services arrived, but Turner was pronounced dead shortly afterward.

The Wayne County Coroner’s Office later confirmed it responded to the prison and pronounced Turner dead at approximately 6:18 p.m. Officials reported no visible signs of trauma at the scene, and an autopsy was ordered to determine the cause and manner of death.

Turner had been incarcerated at the facility since March 2025 and was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, along with an additional 41-month sentence for possession of a shank while incarcerated, according to federal records.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation was notified following his death, standard procedure for in-custody fatalities.

The OIG report did not reference Turner’s death directly.

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