Nov 15, 1:39 AM EST
In this undated photo, the Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Ill., is seen. A White House official says the Obama administration is considering buying the northwestern Illinois prison to house a limited number of detainees from Guantanamo Bay, along with federal inmates. (AP Photo/The Dispatch, Todd Mizener)
By TAMMY WEBBER -AP
CHICAGO (AP) — The Obama administration may buy a near-empty prison in rural northwestern Illinois to house detainees from Guantanamo Bay along with federal inmates, a White House official said Saturday.
The maximum-security Thomson Correctional Facility, about 150 miles west of Chicago, was one of several evaluated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and emerged as a leading option to house the detainees, the official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because a decision has not been made.
President Barack Obama wants alleged terrorism suspects from the controversial military-run detention center in Cuba to be transferred to U.S. soil so they can be prosecuted for their suspected crimes.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has been hinting at a possible new use for Thomson, and he issued a statement saying he would hold a news conference Sunday to outline those plans.
via News from The Associated Press.
