The town that wants the Gitmo prisoners

Prisoners to go to Thomson?

When President Obama came to office, one of his first actions was to issue the closing of Camp X-Ray at Guantanamo Bay, however one question that arose from the action was 'where do we put them?'

Over the months, many states and cities have said they don't want to take the terror suspects, but one town in Illinois has made headlines in America by saying they'd be happy to take them.

Despite the problems that would accompany holding some of the world's most wanted and dangerous men, the town of Thomson, which boasts a nearly empty state prison, says that the need for jobs in the area out-weights the possible safety aspects.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Richard Groharing, a 68-year-old retired Florida corrections officer who was born in Thomson, painted a bleak future for the town of 450, "This town is slowly but surely dying off, and I mean that literally because the people that are retired are dying off and there's no young people coming back in to take their place. There's nothing here to draw them."

Thomson lies 150 miles west of Chicago and has a prison that was built in 2001 with the promise of thousands of jobs. However, due to state budget problems, the complex has been mostly empty since it was finished despite having 1,600 cells - of which only 200 are full... of minimum-security inmate.

Political rifts

Thomson's desire to play host to terror suspects has ignited a political battle between the Republicans and Democrats who have been weighing up economic development against the possibility of terrorist attacks. The Democrats have favoured the idea saying housing the Camp X-Ray detainees in Thomson would create thousands of jobs and bring up to $1 billion in federal funds to Illinois by selling the penitentiary to the federal government.

However, the Republicans say that the state would become a "magnet for terrorists." Republican U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, whose district includes the prison went so far to say, "Gitmo is not being closed, it's being moved to northwest Illinois."

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and Sen. Dick Durbin, both Democrats, have welcomed the possibility of locking up Guantanamo detainees at Thomson.

If the town was to hold the prisoners, the prison would be turned into a super-maximum facility -- the most secure prison in the federal system -- with a segregated unit for some Guantanamo detainees.

The people of Thomson

Whilst many in the town would welcome the jobs the prison would bring, some agree with Rep. Manzullo. Shirley Dippel, 64, who works at Gerry's Upholstery, says security concerns trump jobs. "This would make us the No. 1 target on the terrorist list," she says. "All of a sudden, we're the bull's-eye. How are we supposed to feel?"

Donna Opheim, 63, concurs saying security is the main issue. "Is our quiet little town going to be able to function like a quiet little town, or are we going to be looking over our shoulders?" she asks.

"The security issue is the big issue for me," Opheim says. "I'm not so much afraid of the detainees breaking out. It's the people who might be coming in to get them out."

The likes of Jean Bissing and Don Baker disagree saying to USA Today, "We need the jobs. Things are bad." Currently, the unemployment rate in Carroll County, where Thomson is located, is 10.5 percent.

Baker added that if the prisoner transfer went ahead, it spur new housing for guards as well as other businesses. Some residents are also not afraid of a possible jail break. Dave Lawton, a 62-year-old retiree, said to the AP, "I've got plenty of weapons and ammunition at my house."

Currently, the Obama administration is also considering sending Guantanamo detainees to other locations in the US, including the maximum-security prison in Standish, Michigan, where many residents also welcome the idea in the hope that it would spur jobs.

If Thomson is chosen, Bureau of Prisons director Harley Lappin said Monday the federal agency would hire 800 to 900 people including about 250 to 300 people from other facilities to get the system up and running quickly.

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