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Source says USP Thomson moving inmates out of facility. Here's what we know and don't know

News 8 watched three charter buses enter the prison Tuesday. One has since left with passengers, but it's not confirmed if they were prisoners.

THOMSON, Ill. — The troubled United States Penitentiary Thomson is moving prisoners out of its facilities after years of reported violence among inmates and staff, drug exposures in the mailroom and calls for the warden's removal. 

A source close to the situation told News 8's Shelby Kluver that the prison won't be shutting down operations. Instead, all special management unit (SMU) and reintegration inmates, or high-security inmates, are being moved. 

Low-security prisoners will likely stay at the camp, according to News 8's source.

News 8 watched three charter buses enter the prison yard Tuesday. One has since left with passengers on it, however, News 8 has not been able to confirm if they were prisoners. News 8 has also learned that there will be a "mission change" at the prison, but the details surrounding that are also unclear at this time. 

News 8 has reached out to the prison's management countless times over the past few months and again on Tuesday, however, we have yet to hear back. 

The BOP did respond to News 8's inquiry Tuesday morning, saying that it recently discovered "significant concerns with respect to institutional culture and compliance with BOP policies" at the prison. 

Randilee Giamusso with the Office of Public Affairs didn't describe what the issues are specifically but did say "there is a need for immediate corrective measures." 

Last week, the BOP sent a team to the prison to support already-existing leadership and employees. The team will also "provide additional presence, assistance and training at the facility." 

"As we move forward with our core public safety mission and important institution operations, we will be making necessary changes that better align the institution's operations with agency expectations," Giamusso told News 8 via email. "While we are considering a change to the mission at USP Thomson, there is no plan to close the institution." 

The BOP isn't providing any more information due to security reasons.

Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth issued the following statement Tuesday about the move: 

"We have been informed by the Department of Justice that Bureau of Prisons leadership is taking corrective action to address deeply troubling findings of a recent review of the facility. We were assured by the Attorney General that these changes are temporary and that Thomson will continue to play an important role in the Bureau of Prisons system."

Rep. Eric Sorensen later followed up with his own statement:

"I look forward to working with Senators Duckworth and Durbin, the Bureau of Prisons, and the Department of Justice to make sure that USP Thomson plays an integral role in our nation’s prison system and creates a high level of safety and security for all employees and inmates." 

The Bureau of Prisons website says there are currently 639 inmates at the prison, with 509 being in the actual prison and 130 at the camp. Back in November, there were 891 inmates, with 761 being in the prison and 130 at the camp. The BOP site doesn't say how many people work at the facility.

Restrictive housing, also known as solitary confinement, plays a big role in the move. SMUs are just one example of restrictive housing, there are also special housing units (SHUs) and administrative maximum facilities (ADX). 

SHUs are used to either separate inmates from the general population for safety concerns or as a form of discipline. ADXs are designed to house inmates who pose the greatest risk to staff, other inmates and the public. 

President Joe Biden signed an executive order on the second anniversary of George Floyd's death to advance accountable policing and strengthen public safety in the U.S., which was also one of his promises made on the campaign trail. The order's intent is to improve conditions of confinement across prisons and limit the use of restrictive housing. 

In recent years, inmates being held in restrictive housing has increased. In November 2016, the National Institute of Justice reported that restrictive housing "is used far more frequently than past estimates indicate." 

NIJ's 420-page report cites a Bureau of Justice Statistics study from 2015 that surveyed more than 91,000 inmates in state and federal prisons and jails. It says 4.4% of state and federal inmates were in restrictive housing on an average day from 2011-2012. 

According to the Bureau of Prisons, 10,859 out of 145,582 inmates in BOP custody are in SHUs. That's roughly 7.5% of inmates.

Watch more stories about USP Thomson on News 8's YouTube channel

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