White House: Obama administration eyes near-empty Illinois prison to house Guantanamo inmates

By TAMMY WEBBER , Associated Press

Last update: November 14, 2009 - 5:23 PM

CHICAGO - A White House official says the Obama administration is considering buying a northwestern Illinois prison to house a limited number of detainees from Guantanamo Bay, along with federal inmates.

The official says the federal Bureau of Prisons evaluated several state and federal facilities and the maximum-security Thomson Correctional Facility emerged as a leading option to house Guantanamo detainees.

The official spoke to The Associated Press Saturday on condition of anonymity because a decision has not been made.

The 1,600-cell Thomson facility, about 150 miles west of Chicago, was built by the state in 2001. Budget problems prevented it from ever fully opening, and it now houses about 200 minimum-security inmates.

(This version CORRECTS number of cells. )

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