The population continues to grow at Thomson prison in northwest Illinois. More than 100 minimum security inmates are now housed at the long-dormant facility. A spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons says 237 workers are now based at Thomson.
Village President Vicky Trager says she’s noticed more vehicle traffic in the past few months from new workers and their families.
"It has been smooth. There’s not a big media circus because it's not something that’s ever announced [like] ‘oh, there’s a busload coming in.’ That doesn’t happen. They just arrive.”
A date for full activation hasn’t been scheduled. The spokesperson says additional hiring and activation is based on the Bureau of Prisons receiving an increase in funding.
