Under federal ownership, prison would be two facilities
Thomson Correctional Center is the leading candidate to become the U.S. detention center that will house about 100 Guantanamo detainees when that facility is shut down.
A detailed report from the president’s Council of Economic Advisers, released Saturday, looks at the first 4 years of the prison under federal ownership, assuming the federal Bureau of Prisons occupies 75 percent of the facility, and the Department of Defense houses prisoners in the other 25 percent.
In essence, Thomson will become two separate facilities operating side by side. Together, they are expected to inject up to $1.1 billion in the local economy through construction costs, employee salaries, living expenses and the like, over the first 4 years.
Forty percent of the economic impact will be concentrated in Carroll County; 40 percent in Whiteside, Lee, Jo Daviess and Rock Island counties; and the rest in Clinton and Jackson counties in Iowa, where altogether, nearly 18,000 people are unemployed.
That means about 80 percent of all of the jobs created by the facility will be held by people who live in Illinois; the rest will be filled by Iowans. That could reduce the unemployment rate in Carroll County, which hit 10.5 percent in September, by 2 to 4 percentage points, the report says.
Also according to the report:
The Department of Defense will spend $35 million to $40 million on capital improvements each year for 4 years, making Thomson the most secure federal facility in the country.
The Bureau of Prisons expects to spend $15 million to modify the prison and $22 million on furnishings, equipment, and supplies, one-time expenses.
That’s nearly $80 million in construction and supplies the first year.
Also that first year, modifying, opening and running the facility will create 2,290 to 2,960 jobs in the seven counties.
Residents of those counties likely will fill 1,240 to 1,410 of those jobs, while the rest will be filled by people relocating to the area. Earnings will increase by $131 million to $185 million the first year.
In year two, 2,820 to 3,520 jobs will be generated; by year three, when the Bureau of Prisons side is fully operational, Thomson will provide 3,170 to 3,870 jobs, 1,720 to 1,920 of which will be held by locals.
By the third year, earnings will increase to $233 million to $289 million.
Permanent jobs?
The Department of Defense expects to utilize 1,000 to 1,500 employees, one-third of whom will be government civilian employees or private contractors making $80,000 to $90,000 a year.
Two-thirds of the employees will be military personnel, with salaries of $65,000.
The Bureau of Prisons will need 448 correctional officers and 448 medical personnel, food service workers, and other staff workers. It expects to hire 150 workers over the course of the first year, 50 from the local community.
Over the course of the second year, the bureau will hire the rest of the workers, with about 400 coming from the Thomson area.
Correctional officers will have an annual salary in the first year, including benefits, of $82,000, which will hit $92,300 by the fourth year. Other staff will have an annual salary in the first year of $93,000, which will rise to $104,000 by the fourth year.
Visitor impact
The Department of Defense expects its portion of the prison will draw roughly 200 outside visitors at any given time, including attorneys, diplomatic officials, law enforcement officials, delegates from the International Committee of the Red Cross and journalists. They are expected to add $11 million a year to the local economy, largely in the way of lodging, food and local transportation.
There will be no visitors to the Bureau’s side of the prison the first year; 50 visitors the second year; and about 100 at any given time by year three. These family members, attorneys and journalists are expected to spend $3 million a year locally.
