There are nine federal prisons in Pennsylvania, all run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. They stretch from a detention center in downtown Philadelphia to a medium-security institution near the New York border in Bradford County, and together they hold somewhere between 8,000 and 9,000 people. Three of the nine sit on a single campus in Union County; the other six are standalone institutions, several with minimum-security camps attached.
The Nine Federal Facilities
Every federal prison in the state falls under the BOP’s Northeast Regional Office.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. Northeast Regional Office Populations shift, so the numbers below are approximate.
Allenwood Federal Correctional Complex (White Deer)
The Allenwood complex operates three separate facilities on one campus, which lets the BOP move people between security tiers without a long-distance transfer.
- USP Allenwood, a high-security penitentiary holding about 360 inmates.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. Northeast Regional Office
- FCI Allenwood Medium, a medium-security institution with roughly 1,104 inmates.2Federal Bureau of Prisons. FCI Allenwood Medium
- FCI Allenwood Low, a low-security institution with about 1,017 inmates.
USP Canaan (Waymart)
A high-security penitentiary with an adjacent minimum-security camp. Total population is around 1,504, with roughly 1,411 at the main institution and 93 at the camp.3Federal Bureau of Prisons. USP Canaan
FCI Lewisburg (Lewisburg)
A medium-security correctional institution with a satellite camp. Lewisburg operated as a penitentiary for much of its history but has been redesignated as an FCI.4Federal Bureau of Prisons. FCI Lewisburg
FCI Schuylkill (Minersville)
Medium-security, with a satellite camp. Combined population is about 1,174: roughly 944 at the main facility and 230 at the camp.5Federal Bureau of Prisons. FCI Schuylkill
FCI McKean (Lewis Run)
Medium-security, near the New York border, with a satellite camp. Total population is about 1,011, split roughly 830 at the FCI and 181 at the camp.6Federal Bureau of Prisons. FCI McKean
FCI Loretto (Loretto)
A low-security correctional institution in Cambria County, holding about 781 people.7Federal Bureau of Prisons. FCI Loretto
FDC Philadelphia (Philadelphia)
An administrative-security federal detention center in Center City with about 882 people. Unlike the other facilities, FDC Philadelphia primarily holds pretrial detainees and people in transit between institutions.8Federal Bureau of Prisons. FDC Philadelphia
What the Security Levels Mean
The BOP sorts every institution into one of five security levels, and Pennsylvania has examples of nearly all of them. The physical differences are significant and affect how much movement inmates have, what programs are available, and how visits work.9Federal Bureau of Prisons. Federal Prisons
- High security (USPs) use walls or reinforced fences, single- or double-occupancy cells, and tightly controlled movement. USP Allenwood and USP Canaan sit at this level.
- Medium security (FCIs) use double fences with electronic detection, mostly cell housing, and a broad set of work and treatment programs. FCI Lewisburg, FCI Schuylkill, FCI McKean, and FCI Allenwood Medium fall here.
- Low security (FCIs) use double-fenced perimeters and mostly dormitory or cubicle housing. FCI Allenwood Low and FCI Loretto operate at this level.
- Minimum security (camps) use dormitory housing, limited or no perimeter fencing, and a low staff-to-inmate ratio. The camps at Canaan, Lewisburg, Schuylkill, and McKean are in this tier and typically hold people convicted of nonviolent offenses or approaching the end of longer sentences.
- Administrative facilities have special missions such as holding pretrial detainees. FDC Philadelphia is the state’s only one.
Security classification is set by a scoring system that weighs offense severity, criminal history, time remaining on the sentence, and institutional behavior. It can change over time, which is part of why Pennsylvania has facilities at multiple levels.
A Note on Moshannon Valley
Older lists sometimes include Moshannon Valley in Clearfield County. The BOP declined to renew its contract there, and in 2021 the facility was converted into an immigration detention center operated by a private contractor under agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It is no longer part of the federal prison system and should not be counted among the nine.
Finding Out Where Someone Is Held
The BOP runs a free online inmate locator that covers everyone incarcerated in the federal system from 1982 to the present.10Federal Bureau of Prisons. Inmate Locator You can search by name (with optional filters for race, age, and sex) or by BOP register number, which is formatted as #####-###. The register number gives the fastest exact match.
Release dates in the locator are not always current. Ongoing sentence recalculations under the First Step Act mean the displayed date may lag behind actual eligibility, and someone shown as “released” or “not in BOP custody” may still be under supervision, in a halfway house, or in the custody of another agency.
Visiting a Federal Prison in Pennsylvania
You cannot visit a federal inmate unless you are on their approved visiting list. After someone arrives at a facility, they receive a Visitor Information Form, fill out their part, and mail it to you. You complete your section and mail it back to the facility, and the BOP then runs a background check that may include contact with law enforcement.11Federal Bureau of Prisons. How to Visit a Federal Inmate
Immediate family, other relatives such as grandparents and cousins, and up to ten friends or associates can go on the list. If the list has not been set up yet after a recent transfer, immediate family members who can be verified through the pre-sentence report may be allowed a provisional visit. Call the facility first to confirm.
Visiting hours usually fall on weekends and federal holidays, with some facilities offering weekday hours. Each inmate is guaranteed at least four hours of visiting time per month by law. Because weekends are busy, a facility may limit you to either Saturday or Sunday depending on the inmate, so check the specific facility’s page on bop.gov before making the trip.
The dress code is strict and enforced at the door. The BOP prohibits revealing clothing, see-through garments, halter tops, crop tops, miniskirts, sleeveless shirts, hats, and anything resembling inmate clothing such as khaki or green military-style outfits. Skirts must fall within two inches of the knee. Failing to meet the dress code can get your visit denied on the spot.
Who Runs These Prisons
Every federal prison in Pennsylvania answers to the Bureau of Prisons, an agency inside the U.S. Department of Justice. The BOP’s authority comes from 18 U.S.C. ยง 4042, which charges it with managing federal correctional institutions and providing for the care, protection, and discipline of people convicted of or charged with federal offenses.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 4042 Duties of Bureau of Prisons The Northeast Regional Office is one of six regional offices nationwide, and its regional director oversees the wardens at each Pennsylvania site, coordinates transfers, and enforces national BOP policy.13Federal Bureau of Prisons. Our Locations