Illinois Prison Transaction May Proceed Without Legislative Approval
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan found that a sale of the Thomson Correctional Center can move forward without state legislative approval, although she said such permission would be needed if the federal government decided after the sale to seek “exclusive jurisdiction” over the property.
“The General Assembly has given the executive branch express authority to sell property, including the TCC, for not less than fair market value without further legislative action,” Madigan wrote.
President Barack Obamas administration announced in a Dec. 15 letter that it intends to acquire the almost vacant state prison in northwest Illinois to house about 100 detainees now held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
While legislative roadblocks appear unlikely in Illinois, hurdles remain in Congress.
House Republican Leader John Boehner said yesterday that he wouldnt support legislation that “facilitates bringing Gitmo prisoners to the United States” and predicted his party would be united in opposition.
Congressional Steps
“There are at least two pieces of legislation that are going to have to go through Congress before those prisoners can come here,” Boehner said at a news conference in Washington. “I wouldnt want to bet on when those two pieces of legislation will pass, if ever.”
Republicans and civil liberties groups alike have opposed the plan, suggesting that moving the detainees wont reduce terrorist hatred of the U.S.
A Department of Defense memo to members of the Illinois congressional delegation obtained by Bloomberg News says the detainees wouldnt be treated at local hospitals, should they become ill.
That was one of more than 30 questions answered in a memo that sought to address security and other concerns raised by Republicans.
Defense officials also said they couldnt accurately predict how many protesters might be drawn to the prison.
Medical Care
The memo addresses issues such as detainee medical care and how participants and observers of on-site military trials for suspected terrorists would be handled.
A timetable hasnt been provided for moving the detainees to the prison 150 miles (241 kilometers) west of Obamas adopted hometown of Chicago.
Congress would need to approve a yet to be determined level of funding to pay for the prisons purchase and security enhancements.
Illinois completed construction of the $145 million prison in 2001 to house its most dangerous inmates. State budget problems left it mostly unused, with fewer than 200 of 1,800 beds now occupied.
Military court members at Thomson wouldnt be identified publicly and would be housed in an undisclosed location, the memo states.
Screening Plans