FULTON – Eleven years after its construction, and 3 months after becoming the property of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the long-dormant Thomson prison could open in 6 months, freshman state Rep. Mike Smiddy says.

Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, said he has been working with U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, and his director, Bill Houlihan, checking in to make sure things are moving quickly with the federal prison.

“They are planning to start hiring this summer and get operational in the next 6 months,” Smiddy told the Clinton (Iowa) Herald. “This will create thousands of jobs for the area.”