 State Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, said that reports suggest
Thomson is the leading candidate to receive federal detainees,
including suspected terrorists, when the federal government closes
its military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Thomson
Correctional Center, a supermax facility located in northwestern
Illinois, has sat largely empty since it was completed in 2001.
The correctional center was identified as a potential replacement by
federal authorities, who would purchase the facility from Illinois
and use it to house approximately 1,500 federal, maximum-security
inmates, which would include approximately 100 detainees from the
prison at Guantanamo Bay.
The proposal has sparked criticism from some governmental
officials and Illinois residents, who have expressed concerns over
housing suspected terrorists in Illinois. Critics also say that
Illinois' prison system is already over capacity and Thomson should
instead be used to reduce overcrowding at other state facilities and
reduce substantial overtime costs.
It's estimated that Illinois' prisons are at 135 percent and 179
percent capacity, respectively, for general and maximum-security
populations.
Bomke said that more information is needed, and he raised
objections to the governor's plan, noting that aside from security
concerns, lawmakers should be allowed to weigh in on the facility's
potential sale.
Gov. Pat Quinn has said he can sell the facility by arbitrarily
declaring it "surplus property." Lawmakers are concerned that this
could set a dangerous precedent that could affect virtually every
piece of state property.
In addition, some lawmakers believe that if the federal
government offers to purchase Thomson, the Commission on Government
Forecasting and Accountability must have hearings on the potential
facility closure.
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Advocates say safety concerns about housing potential terrorists at
the facility have been blown out of proportion, noting that it is a
supermax prison and is equipped to handle violent offenders.
However, even President Barack Obama has acknowledged that the
prisoners likely to remain in custody after Guantanamo is closed
will be those who cannot be tried but are deemed too dangerous to be
released.
Also this week, a report was released revealing that Illinois'
unemployment is the highest it has been in 26 years, increasing to
11 percent in October.
Recently, the Illinois Department of Employment Security
announced that the state's unemployment rate had jumped from 10.5
percent in September to 11 percent in October. Last year in October
the unemployment rate was 6.8 percent. (See related article posted
Friday in LDN.)
Though there were job losses in Illinois industries, some sectors
had noticeable increases in employment. Education and health
services, business and construction all reported gains.
Manufacturing, transportation and trade sectors experienced losses.
The national unemployment rate also rose to 10.2 percent in
October, which is the highest it has been since April 1983.
[Text from file sent on behalf of
Sen.
Larry Bomke by Illinois
Senate Republican staff]
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