Original plans called for the Thomson Correctional Center maximum-security facility to be located north of Savanna at the former Savanna Army Ordinance Depot. Northwest Illinois was chosen...

 in order to make up for jobs lost when the Depot and the Railroad yard located south of Savanna were shut down. Environmental groups lobbied against the location at the former Depot, citing concerns for plants and animals along the Mississippi River and the presence of potentially harmful chemicals remaining underground at the site. 

The location was moved to Thomson, construction began in May 1999 and was completed in Nov.2001. As a result of delays caused by the location change, there were no funds available in the Illinois budget of 2002 to open and operate the facility. The minimum-security portion of the facility was occupied from 2006 to 2010, but the maximum-security section remained unused. The prison was declared surplus by the State of Illinois and closed on April 30, 2010. 

The Federal Bureau of Prisons has expressed an intention to purchase the facility; negotiations are ongoing.

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Thomson Prison

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