On December 22, 2009, the Illinois Department of Corrections hosted a guided media tour of Thomson Correctional Center’s cellblock 4D. The Obama administration announced seven days earlier that the federal government purchased the center, which is 50 miles northeast of the Davenport, Iowa and planned to move 1,600 to 2,000 federal prisoners there, along with a “limited number” of detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. (A spokesperson also stated that in the event detainees don’t qualify for a federal trial or military review, they would be held at the facility.) As many as 100 Gitmo detainees may eventually be moved to the supermax prison facility, according to estimates. The exterior of the facility in Thomson, Illinois is seen in this photo taken November 17, 2009.
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Cell block 4D.
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The visitation area.
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An overall view of a typical inmate’s cell, unoccupied.
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An aerial view of the Thomson Correctional Center taken November 17, 2009.
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