Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary

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The Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary is a high security prison housing male inmates in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. An adjacent satellite prison camp houses minimum security male offenders. The Lewisburg Penitentiary was opened in 1932. This penitentiary is one of four federal prisons in the county and ten prisons within Union County and the adjacent counties[1].

Lewisburg Penitentiary, as viewed from the surrounding countryside

Lewisburg Penitentiary has housed many infamous criminals, such as Whitey Bulger [2], Alger Hiss [3], Bayard Rustin (a non-criminal civil rights activist) [4], John Wojtowicz, Henry Hill, Robert Thompson and others.

Known for running a tight regime, Lewisburg Penitentiary had a prison riot in November of 1995. Although started by only 10 prisoners, more than 20 visited the hospital that November 1st, and one prisoner recorded multiple broken bones and missing teeth. Many were sentenced to the "hole" and over 400 were transferred [[5]]. This incident thrust the Penitentiary into the national spotlight, where it gained much of its current notoriety.