November 16, 2009

THOMSON, Ill. (AP) - Federal officials are due to arrive in
rural northwest Illinois to inspect a prison that could be bought
by the federal government and used to house Guantanamo Bay
detainees.

Officials from the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Department
of Defense are expected Monday at the Thomson Correctional Center.
It's about 150 miles west of Chicago.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin say the
potential sale could help create about 3,000 jobs in the
economically depressed area.

But critics, including Republican members of Congress from
Illinois, have been quick to condemn the prospect of the sale
because of safety concerns.

Federal officials are considering Thomson along with a facility
in Florence, Colo. and a site in Hardin, Montana.