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| Location | Thomson, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°58′20″N 90°6′30″W / 41.97222°N 90.10833°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | Low-security (with minimum-security prison camp) |
| Population | 1,555 [1,424 at the FCI, 131 in prison camp] (December 2023) |
| Opened | 2001[1] |
| Managed by | Federal Bureau of Prisons |
The Federal Correctional Institution, Thomson (FCI Thomson), formerly United States Penitentiary, Thomson and Thomson Correctional Center, is a low-security federal prison located in Thomson, Illinois. It has an area of about 146 acres (59 ha) and comprises 15 buildings. The facility is enclosed by a 15-foot (4.6 m), 7000 volt electric fence surrounded by an additional 12-foot (3.7 m) exterior fence covered with razor wire. Thomson has eight cellhouses with a rated capacity of 2,100 beds—1,900 high-security SMU beds and 200 minimum-security beds at the onsite camp—and according to BOP officials, the potential to use some of its high-security rated capacity to house up to 400 ADX inmates.[2] From its completion in 2001 to 2006, it remained empty.[1] By 2009, only the minimum-security section housed prisoners.[3][4]
In October 2012, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) purchased Thomson Correctional Center from the State of Illinois for $165 million.[5] Plans to transfer inmates from Guantanamo Bay to the facility had already been blocked by Congress.
In August 2014, Donald Hudson was named the first warden of the prison.[6] The prison was fully activated in January 2019 and as of March 2020, the prison had an inmate population of 1,067.[7][8] In June 2019, the prison crossed the 400 employee mark with an authorization to hire 200 more over the next few years as inmate population continues to ramp up.[8] As of December 2023, FCI Thomson holds 1,424 inmates at the low-security FCI and 131 at the minimum security camp.[9][10]
- ^ a b Mounce, Kyle (2006-09-06). "Doors Open at Thomson Prison". WHBF-TV. Rock Island, Illinois. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
- ^ Management of New Prison Activations Can Be Improved gao.gov
- ^ "Thomson Correctional Center". Springfield, Illinois: Illinois Department of Corrections. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
- ^ Gillam, Carey (2009-11-15). "Illinois prison eyed to house Guantanamo detainees (update 1)". Reuters. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
- ^ Stahl, Aviva (15 January 2015). "New Federal Supermax Prison Will Double Capacity for Extreme Solitary Confinement". solitarywatch.org.
- ^ Becker, Tara (18 August 2014). "Warden named at Thomson prison". The Quad-City Times. Retrieved 2016-06-14.
- ^ "USP Thomson". www.bop.gov. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
- ^ a b Ritter, Sarah (23 June 2019). "Thomson prison struggling to hire 200 workers, warden calls for more housing, day care". The Quad-City Times. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
- ^ "USP Thomson". www.bop.gov. Retrieved 2016-06-14.
- ^ Janda, Jennifer (2016-05-18). "Lawmakers discuss Thomson Prison activation". KWQC-TV6. Archived from the original on 2016-05-21. Retrieved 2016-06-14.