Thomson Correctional Center
Encyclopedia
Thomson Correctional Center was an Illinois Department of Corrections maximum security prison
located just north of Thomson, Illinois
. It has an area of about 146 acres (59.1 ha) and comprises 15 buildings. The facility is enclosed by a 15 feet (4.6 m), 7000 volt electric fence
surrounded by an additional 12 feet (3.7 m) exterior fence covered with razor wire
. Thomson has eight cellhouses with 1,600 total cells, and an additional minimum-security unit with 200 beds. However, from its completion in 2001 to 2006, it sat empty and, , only the minimum-security section houses prisoners. On April 30, 2010 Thomson closed."IDOC News: Notice of Thomson CC Potential Closure." Illinois Department of Corrections. Retrieved on July 10, 2010.
, several miles north of Thomson. One of the main reasons the prison was controversial was concern that the prison would have a negative impact on the environment, especially being so close to the Mississippi River
.
Thomson Correctional Center was built between May 1999 and November 2001. Its completion cost $140 million, but the state omitted opening costs from the 2002 budget, and Governor George H. Ryan called for a delay to the opening to save $50 million per year in operating costs. By 2009, the total cost to the state of Illinois exceeded $170 million. The minimum security unit has an annual budget of $7 million. State budget constraints as well as labor union opposition to closing other state prisons prevented the maximum-security prison from opening.
In 2008, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich
proposed to close the state prison in Pontiac, Illinois
and to open the Thomson maximum-security unit instead. However, Blagojevich was subsequently arrested on December 9, 2008, and removed from office. His replacement, Governor Pat Quinn
cancelled plans to close the Pontiac prison in March 2009, leaving Thomson unused.
, via a Presidential memorandum
, formally ordered the departments of Justice
and Defense
to arrange Federal ownership of the prison, and prepare for transfer there of both Federal prisoners and Guantanamo detainees. According to previous press reports, the acquisition plan contemplated housing there up to 100 inmates from the camp, in addition to other federal prisoners. The Federal Bureau of Prisons
will erect a more secure perimeter fence, so its perimeter security exceeds supermax
standards. The portion of the Thomson prison that will be used to house Guantanamo detainees will be operated by the Department of Defense
, while the rest of the prison will be operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. CNN
stated that before the decision was announced, many in the town welcomed the idea of Guantanamo prisoner housing in their town as the hopes will revitalize the town's economy and bring jobs.
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
located just north of Thomson, Illinois
Thomson, Illinois
Thomson is a village along Illinois Route 84 near the Mississippi River in Carroll County, Illinois, United States. The population was 590 at the 2010 census, up from 559 at the 2000 census...
. It has an area of about 146 acres (59.1 ha) and comprises 15 buildings. The facility is enclosed by a 15 feet (4.6 m), 7000 volt electric fence
Electric fence
An electric fence is a barrier that uses electric shocks to deter animals or people from crossing a boundary. The voltage of the shock may have effects ranging from uncomfortable, to painful or even lethal...
surrounded by an additional 12 feet (3.7 m) exterior fence covered with razor wire
Razor wire
Barbed tape or razor wire is a mesh of metal strips with sharp edges whose purpose is to prevent passage by humans. The term "razor wire", through long usage, has generally been used to describe barbed tape products...
. Thomson has eight cellhouses with 1,600 total cells, and an additional minimum-security unit with 200 beds. However, from its completion in 2001 to 2006, it sat empty and, , only the minimum-security section houses prisoners. On April 30, 2010 Thomson closed."IDOC News: Notice of Thomson CC Potential Closure." Illinois Department of Corrections. Retrieved on July 10, 2010.
History
The building of the prison was controversial; early plans suggested using the site of the former Savanna Army DepotSavanna Army Depot
Savanna Army Depot was a installation, located on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, in Carroll and Jo Daviess counties, around seven miles north of Savanna, Illinois. It was opened in 1917 as a proving and testing facility for weapons developed at Rock Island Arsenal. In 1921 it became a...
, several miles north of Thomson. One of the main reasons the prison was controversial was concern that the prison would have a negative impact on the environment, especially being so close to the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
Thomson Correctional Center was built between May 1999 and November 2001. Its completion cost $140 million, but the state omitted opening costs from the 2002 budget, and Governor George H. Ryan called for a delay to the opening to save $50 million per year in operating costs. By 2009, the total cost to the state of Illinois exceeded $170 million. The minimum security unit has an annual budget of $7 million. State budget constraints as well as labor union opposition to closing other state prisons prevented the maximum-security prison from opening.
In 2008, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich
Rod R. Blagojevich is an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Blagojevich was a State Representative before being elected to the United States House of Representatives representing parts of Chicago...
proposed to close the state prison in Pontiac, Illinois
Pontiac, Illinois
Pontiac is a city in Livingston County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,931 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Livingston County...
and to open the Thomson maximum-security unit instead. However, Blagojevich was subsequently arrested on December 9, 2008, and removed from office. His replacement, Governor Pat Quinn
Pat Quinn (politician)
Patrick Joseph "Pat" Quinn III is the 41st and current Governor of Illinois. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Previously elected three times to statewide office, Quinn was the sitting lieutenant governor and became governor on January 29, 2009, when the previous governor, Rod Blagojevich,...
cancelled plans to close the Pontiac prison in March 2009, leaving Thomson unused.
Transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees
On December 15, 2009, President Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, via a Presidential memorandum
Presidential memorandum
A presidential memorandum is a type of presidential order issued by the President of the United States to the executive branch of the United States government. Presidential memoranda do not have an established process for issuance or publication...
, formally ordered the departments of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
and Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
to arrange Federal ownership of the prison, and prepare for transfer there of both Federal prisoners and Guantanamo detainees. According to previous press reports, the acquisition plan contemplated housing there up to 100 inmates from the camp, in addition to other federal prisoners. The Federal Bureau of Prisons
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is a federal law enforcement agency subdivision of the United States Department of Justice and is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system. The system also handles prisoners who committed acts considered felonies under the District of Columbia's...
will erect a more secure perimeter fence, so its perimeter security exceeds supermax
Supermax
Supermax is the name used to describe "control-unit" prisons, or units within prisons, which represent the most secure levels of custody in the prison systems of certain countries...
standards. The portion of the Thomson prison that will be used to house Guantanamo detainees will be operated by the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
, while the rest of the prison will be operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
stated that before the decision was announced, many in the town welcomed the idea of Guantanamo prisoner housing in their town as the hopes will revitalize the town's economy and bring jobs.
External links
- Thomson Correctional Center — page at the Illinois Department of Corrections