Thomson Correctional CenterOpened: Capacity: 0Level 1: Maximum-Security Adult MaleAverage Daily Population: 0 Thomson Correctional Center is the parent institution for the following location(s):Thomson Minimum Security UnitLevel 7: Low Minimum-Security Adult MaleAverage Daily Population: 0
VISITATION
ALL VISITORS, INCLUDING ATTORNEYS, MUST BE ON THE INMATE'S APPROVED VISITING LIST IN ORDER TO VISIT. PROSPECTIVE VISITORS SHOULD CONTACT THE INMATE TO HAVE THEM PLACED ON THE VISITING LIST.
Information on this page is intended to answer questions and provide guidance for individuals who want to visit an inmate at an Illinois correctional facility.
You may download files to study the Visitation Rules that govern behavior of inmates and visitors.
On the first visit to any correctional facility, the visitors will be required to have a photo identification, such as a driver's license, a state identification card, or acceptable documentation of non-US citizen including a current passport, Visa, or Matricula, and documentation that includes their date of birth.Please have two forms of identification; one should be a photo ID for additional visits.
Business Mail:1100 One Mile RoadThomson, Il 61285Phone: (815) 259-1177Fax: (815) 259-1186 Inmate Mail: 1100 One Mile RoadThomson, Il 61285
Thomson Correctional Center is a Level 1 adult male maximum-security facility comprised of 1,600 cells spread throughout eight cellhouses and a separate 200-bed minimum-security unit. The center is located just north of the Village of Thomson off Route 84 in the northwest corner of Illinois. The site is comprised of 146 flat acres and consists of 15 buildings, totaling 625,000 square feet.
The inner perimeter is surrounded by a one-mile loop of two, parallel fences separated by 25 feet of open space. This space is under constant surveillance by four armed, perimeter towers, two armed perimeter road patrols, and a network of 305 surveillance cameras. The 12-foot exterior fence sets in a 3-foot deep 'rat wall' foundation and is stacked, top to bottom, with multiple rows of a coiled wire barrier called razor-ribbon. The 15-foot interior fence is a dual-sided electric stun fence that carries a 7,000-volt current.
The total cost for the project is $140 million. The operating budget is estimated to be $50 million with a $30 million payroll that will support 761 state positions and additional contractual workers needed to safely operate the facility.
New Technology and Enhancements
The surveillance network consists of 305 cameras that run on a fiber optic and dual-Ethernet system. Each camera has time-lapse and/or motion-detection capability and is digitally recorded. Surveillance also includes biometrics that control access to select staff areas and serve as the documentation source for service delivery to the inmates, door position switches attached to the exterior doors of most buildings that emit audible alarms when the doors are opened and record such access times, an energy management system that monitors utility consumption rates and alerts staff to deviations outside set parameters, laptop access that allows remote control of various utility settings, and an 11-station graphic user interface network that gives access and programmed control of all surveillance cameras from areas throughout the facility.
Conclusion
The Thomson Correctional Center is a thick-skinned prison built to house the state's most aggressive and violent inmates. Its design gives staff impeccable sight lines and the ability for steadfast control of inmate movement patterns. No date has been set for its opening.