 The federal government will acquire Thomson Correctional Center in
Thomson, Ill., transforming the prison in a sleepy town near the
Mississippi River into a prison that exceeds "supermax standards,"
according to a letter to Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed by Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Homeland
Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Attorney General Eric Holder
and Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair.Those
departments "will work closely with state and local law enforcement
authorities to identify and mitigate any risks" at the prison, the
letter said.
The decision is an important step toward closing Guantanamo Bay.
Thomson, about 150 miles from Chicago, is expected to house both
federal inmates and no more than 100 detainees from Guantanamo Bay.
Speaking after a briefing with White House officials on Tuesday,
Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin and Quinn cast the decision to accept
Guantanamo detainees as an act of patriotism -- one with the added
bonus of job creation.
"Time and time again the people of Illinois have risen to the
task," Durbin said. "We believe this is in service of our country."
White House national security adviser James Jones said shifting
detainees to Thomson would make the United States more secure, and
removes "a recruiting tool that Guantanamo Bay has come to
symbolize" for terror organizations.
Administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity,
said they could not yet lay out a time frame for a transfer of
detainees from the Navy-run detention facility to Thomson. They said
the administration would have to work with Congress to amend laws
and secure funding before any prisoners are brought to U.S. soil.
The officials said military tribunals for potential detainees
would be held at Thomson. They also said that the facility could
house detainees whom the president determines must be held
indefinitely but can't be tried.
Republicans were quick to criticize the administration's plan.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the American
people "already have rejected bringing terrorists to U.S. soil." He
accused the administration of failing to explain how transferring
the detainees would keep the public safer than keeping them offshore
in Cuba.
Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., the No. 3 House GOP leader, said moving
terrorist suspects to the United States would put the public at
risk.
"The Obama administration is putting international public
relations ahead of public safety," Pence said.
Quinn, the Illinois governor, dismissed safety concerns,
promising that the Thomson facility would be "the most secure prison
of all time."
The facility in Thomson had emerged as a clear front-runner after
Illinois officials, led by Durbin, enthusiastically embraced the
idea of turning a near-dormant prison over to federal officials.
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Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., said he had "full confidence that the
facility will hold these terrorism suspects safely and securely." In
a statement, Burris said that with Illinois struggling with 11
percent unemployment, the transfer will be "a great economic benefit
to the state by creating over 3,000 well-paying jobs and bringing in
valuable federal dollars to fund local facility operations."
The Thomson Correctional Center was one of several potential
sites evaluated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to potentially
house detainees from Guantanamo Bay. Officials with other prisons,
including Marion, Ill., Hardin, Mont., and Florence, Colo., had said
they would welcome the jobs that would be created with the new
inmates.
The Thomson facility was built by Illinois in 2001 as a state
prison with the potential to house maximum-security inmates. Local
officials hoped it would improve the local economy, but state budget
problems have kept the 1,600-cell prison from ever fully opening. At
present, it houses about 200 minimum-security inmates whom Illinois
officials have said can easily be transferred to other state
prisons.
Under the plan outlined Tuesday, the Thomson prison will be
purchased by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and run primarily as a
standard federal prison. A portion of the facility would be leased
to the Defense Department to house a limited number of Guantanamo
detainees.
The Thomson facility will receive upgrades that take it beyond
the security level at any current U.S. prison, including the
nation's only "supermax" facility in Florence, Colo. Already built
to maximum-security standards, the 146-acre Thomson facility will
receive more upgrades from the Defense Department, including
additional fencing and other security technology.
Some Illinois officials have not supported the idea. GOP Rep.
Mark Kirk, who is seeking Obama's old Senate seat, said Tuesday he
believes moving Guantanamo detainees to Illinois will make the state
a greater threat for terrorist attacks. Kirk has lobbied other
officials to contact the White House in opposition to using the
facility.
Thomson will not solve all the administration's Guantanamo-related
problems. There still will be dozens of detainees who are not
relocated to Thomson, other legal issues and potential resistance
from Congress.
[Associated Press;
By HENRY C. JACKSON]
Associated Press writer Jim Suhr in
St. Louis contributed to this report.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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