Even as it's looking more and more unlikely we'll see Guantanamo Bay prisoners shipped there, the White House is moving ahead with a plan to purchase Thomson Correctional Center. Asst. Atty. Gen. Ronald Weich wrote a letter to Illinois' congressional delegation informing them of the Obama administration's intentions to move ahead with the plan. Depending on who ultimately winds up running the prison, there will be a large number of jobs created for the local economy. If the Defense Department takes over, between 750 and 900 of 1,200 jobs would be created for local residents; if the Bureau of Prisons runs Thomson fully, all of the jobs would be open to local residents. Yet if - and how many - Guantanamo Bay prisoners ultimately wind up at Thomson is still unknown as Obama's efforts to close the prison have hit numerous roadblocks. more ›

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) appeared on CNN's State of the Union this weekend and made some strong statements in regards to shutting down Guantanamo Bay and moving federal prisoners to a refurbished Thomson Correctional Center in Northwest Illinois. How strong? "I wouldn't vote for this [Thomson] if you put a gun to my head." Yeah, that strong. Boehner also echoed worries expressed previously by U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk that moving prisoners here would increase the terrorist threat level to the U.S. and making Thomson sound like a keg party, saying, "There's no reason to bring these terrorists into the United States, no reason to increase the threat level here because they're here and their friends may want to come." Check out an excerpt below. more ›

At yesterday's Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on the sell of Thomson Correctional Center to the federal government, Sen. Orin Hatch (R-UT) raised the issue of a prison on U.S. Soil as a recruiting tool for al Qaeda. And to make his point, he remarked how much nicer Guantanamo Bay was than Illinois. more ›

Thomson Correctional Center could be all spruced up and ready to host federal prisoners, including terror suspects from Guantanamo Bay, by the middle of next year. But that all depends on whether or not Congress passes President Obama's budget as he submitted it. As reported yesterday, the budget sets aside $237 million for Thomson: $170 million for the purchase and renovations while the remaining $67 million goes towards other items such as staffing and equipping the prison. According to the Tribune: more ›

President Barack Obama released his $3.8-trillion fiscal 2011 federal budget that he'll propose to Congress and it includes money to buy Thomson Correctional Center. The budget has $237 million set aside for the purchase of the prison which would hold around 100 detainees transferred from Guantanamo Bay once it's closed as well as other federal prisoners. The Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet reports: more ›

• Police hope surveillance footage will give them leads in a shooting that happened yesterday in the Irving Park neighborhood.
• Attorney General Lisa Madigan today said that Gov. Quinn is clear to sell Thomson Correctional Center to the federal government for housing terrorism suspects currently being held at Guantanamo Bay.
• Dwain Kyles and Calvin Hollins, the owners of E2 who were recently sentenced to two years in jail, have asked a judge to allow them to remain free pending their appeal.

The Obama administration announced yesterday that the much debated “Gitmo in Illinois” would move forward with housing nearly 100 detainees from the supposedly soon to close facility in Cuba. With plenty of hand wringing from Republicans over the issue, Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn wrote a letter answering the questions and concerns Rep. Mark Kirk detailed in a letter to President Obama. more ›

• Once terrorism detainees are transferred to Thomson Correctional Center, the prison will also be the site of military commission trials.
• The Sun-Times suggests there's a rift between Todd Stroger and the Daleys, though Mayor Daley denied such a rift exists.
• Gov. Quinn went on the defensive over his decision to shut out WBEZ from investigating the state's juvenile prison system.

An announcement will be made later today that President Obama has given the go-ahead for the federal government to purchase the Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Illinois to hold federal inmates and some detainees currently being held at Guantanamo Bay. Gov. Quinn and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin will be in Washington, D.C. today to meet with officials over details of the acquisition. Both have supported the move which they claim could create over 3,500 jobs. The Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet, who indicated over the weekend this move was coming, reports: more ›

Photo by ekovalev more ›

The last time we checked in with the Gitmo situation almost two weeks ago, the story was drawing attention both nationally and locally. In Illinois, local politicians were arguing back and forth over the possible transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees to the Thomson Correctional Center in Thompson, Illinois. On Friday, House Republicans decided to make their concerns heard by calling for a bipartisan committee to study the potential sale of the northwest prison. more ›

The plan to house and put some Guantanamo Bay detainees on trial on the U.S. mainland has predictably generated a flurry of debate, both nationally and locally. On the national level, politicians and pundits alike are up in arms over the decision to bring accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four accomplices to trial. Right here in Illinois, the controversy surrounds the potential transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees to the Thomson Correctional Center in Thompson, Illinois. more ›