U. S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U. S. Representative Cheri Bustos (IL-17) announced Tuesday, August 1, 2017, that the Senate Appropriations Committee passed a bipartisan fiscal year 2018 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill, that includes $80 million for the continued activation of AUSP Thomson, the correctional facility in Thomson, IL. The legislation must now be passed by the full Senate and then reconciled with the House version of the bill.
The Bureau of Prisons’s activation request included staffing, equipment, vehicles, office and medical supplies, food, and inmate necessities, ie., clothing.
“The funding levels in this legislation show Congress’s continued commitment to supporting the Bureau of Prisons operations at Thomson prison. The activation of Thomson prison is important in tackling major challenges faced by our prison system and in promoting economic growth in the region,” said Durbin. “I will continuing working with Senator Duckworth and Congresswoman Bustos to make certain that future funding is available.”
“Maintaining adequate funding levels for the Thomson correctional facility would help secure jobs and support economic development for Illinois families,” said Duckworth. “I look forward to continuing my work with Senator Durbin and Congresswoman Bustos to help grow the economy in the region and across the entire state of Illinois.”
“To alleviate the problem of overcrowding in our prisons while creating good jobs in our community, we must continue working together to fully activate Thomson prison,” said Bustos. “I’m proud to be working with Senators Durbin and Duckworth, as we fight to secure the funding needed to achieve this goal.”
