Nicole Murphy Reporter

9:53 p.m. CST, December 13, 2009
THOMSON, Illinois—
A leaked White House memo could seal the deal for moving suspected terrorists to the Thomson Correctional Center. The memo directs the Secretary of Defense to relocate prisoners at Guantanamo Bay as quickly as possible.

The state-of-the-art facility has been sitting nearly empty since 2001. Many in Thomson have heard about the memo and have mixed feelings about the state facility becoming a United States Penitentiary. "It was a waste of money if they're not going to do anything with it," says David Mitchell. "I just want to see it open some way."

Jim Marando doesn't think the prisoners should be moved to Thomson. "My comment about it relate to the idea of them, any of them (detainees), being here in the first place. I don't think they belong here."

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin and Governor Pat Quinn are encouraged by the news by saying "the administration ahs narrowed its focus to "Thomson". White House officials insist a final decision hasn't been made. A hearing on the sale of the prison is scheduled for December 22 in Sterling.