When President Obama made known his intentions to close down the controversial Guantanamo Bay and move those prisoners to mainland U.S.A., communities were falling all over each other to be the first to say “Not in MY backyard!” But now, the state of Illinois has surprised most everyone by boldly saying “BRING ‘EM ON!”
Officials from the departments of Defense, Justice, Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Prisons visited the Thomson Correctional Center on Monday to determine if the virtually vacant, state-of-the-art facility in Thomson, Illinois, about 150 miles west of Chicago, is just the home they’re looking for to house the many terror suspects currently being held at Gitmo. According to the governor and other state officials, such a move could provide up to 2,000 jobs and up to $1 billion in federal money to the area. “This is something that is very good for our state, it’s good for our economy, it’s good for public safety,” Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn said Sunday. “They’re all in our prisons, and they’re all held safely. [And] things haven’t changed in Marion,” said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) referring to the federal maximum-security prison in Marion, Illinois, which currently houses some terrorists.
The Thomson prison was built in 2001 and sat empty for five years because the state lacked needed resources to open it. Despite being built as a maximum-security facility, it currently houses only 144 minimum-security male inmates. “After living in limbo for eight years, we’re open to any and all alternatives for Thomson,” said Jerry “Duke” Hebeler, Mayor of Thomson. He estimated that the move would cut the county’s unemployment in half.
