Illinois prison top contender to house Gitmo detainees, official says

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Source: CNN

Washington (CNN) -- A prison in northern Illinois is the leading contender to house some detainees transferred from the federal facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, two Obama administration officials told CNN Saturday.

Officials from the department of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security and federal Bureau of Prisons will be will be visiting the maximum-security Thomson Correctional Center, about 150 miles west of Chicago, on Monday, the officials said.

Earlier Saturday, a statement from Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn's office said senior Obama administration officials would be visiting the Thomson prison to see whether the "virtually vacant, state of the art facility" could be of use to the Bureau of Prisons.

The statement didn't mention the space possibly being utilized for Guantanamo detainees, but said that overcrowding is a "serious issue and one of the reasons why the Bureau of Prisons is interested in viewing Thomson Correction Center."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/11/14/illinois.prison.gitmo/index.html

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The prison is kind of in my neck of the woods, I live about 50 miles from Thomson.

This is what I thought should've been done all along with the Gitmo detainees. If the BOP buys the place the prison will finally fulfill its intended purpose, which has been empty since construction was completed.

And it has an added benefit. The resident teabagger at my place of employment will be pissed because he lives in Thomson.

[gorfle]

1. Hmm. Gitmo 2.

Great. Still no open trials for the people in Gitmo - we'll just move them to a new Gitmo!

If these people have broken the law, then prosecute them. Otherwise, cut them loose.

[Maat]

2. Exactly - you beat me to the post!

Here's a nice idea - its from our nation's founders. It's called "habeas corpus," and its a nice principle (actually, law) to honor.

Either you charge someone, repatriate them as a prisoner of war, or set them free.

Locking them up, and transferring them around indefinitely, is not an option.

[OneAngryDemocrat]

3. The Lame Argument...

The lame argument that US courts don't have jurisdiction at Gitmo is completely moot, if, and when, these prisoners are brought into the US.

BRING 'EM ON!!!

[David Zephyr]

4. This is moving in the right direction...finally.

It may be a small move, but it's out of Cuba.