Thomson Correctional Facility Opening Stalled Again

By Kayla Stanley

            The opening of the Thomson Correctional Facility is on hold again according to Jennifer Smith, a spokesperson from the Illinois Department of Corrections in Springfield. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union (AFSCME), which represents prison guards and other Illinois Department of Corrections employees, is leading the fight to stop Gov. Rod Blagojevich from carrying out plans to close Pontiac and open the maximum-security prison in Thomson.

The lawsuit regarding the state's plan to close Pontiac is winding its way through the Livingston County court system. A Livingston County judge issued a preliminary injunction preventing the state from taking any steps to implement the closure of Pontiac, including moving forward with employee layoffs or the large-scale transfer of inmates.

            For now, the Livingston County case is on hold as AFSCME and the state work to find an independent arbitrator to hear the union's grievances regarding the closure. There is no timetable for finding an outside arbitrator, meaning the state's plan to close Pontiac on Jan. 1 remains in limbo.