Jacobs: Prison to open in ’07

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By Kurt Erickson | Saturday, December 17, 2005 12:11 AM CST | () comments

SPRINGFIELD — A Quad-City lawmaker is predicting that Illinois will open a new, but never-opened prison in northwestern Illinois by 2007.

Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, said Friday that the state cannot wait any longer to open the facility in the Carroll County community of Thomson, which was built in 2001 for a cost of $160 million. The maximum-security lock-up, which would employ 700 workers, has been mothballed since it was built because of state budget woes. Officials would need to find $50 million in order to open it.

“I’ve been speaking with high-level people all over this government and we have a pretty strong commitment that we will see this prison open in the year 2007,” said Jacobs, who is facing a March 21 Democratic primary challenge.

Jacobs said his case is bolstered by an improving state budget and the need to open the facility because of overcrowding within the state’s prison system.

“The governor’s office is issuing a statement that says, in effect, that they are making this a 2007 budget priority,” Jacobs said.

The governor’s office, however, did not issue such a statement Friday.

Rather, while the Blagojevich administration acknowledges they would like to open the prison, a spokeswoman offered no assurances.

“It’s something we would like to do, but like everything else in the budget, it’s too early to say,” said Becky Carroll of the governor’s budget office.

Also muddying Jacobs’ prediction is that both he and Blagojevich are up for re-election in 2006, meaning neither can guarantee any commitments beyond next November’s election. Jacobs, who was appointed to the 36th Senate District seat after his father, long-time lawmaker Denny Jacobs, retired last year, is being challenged by Paul Rumler, a 26-year-old Rock Island Democrat.

Neither Jacobs or Carroll expect the money to be earmarked for the prison in the coming fiscal year budget, which will be debated this spring.

Rather, Jacobs said, “My gut instinct tells me we will come back the following year and move on Thomson prison.”

Jacobs said there has been no discussion of where the $50 million to get the prison operating would come from.

Kurt Erickson can be contacted at kurt.Erickson@lee.net or (217) 782-1249.