Obama administration buying Illinois prison,

The Obama administration and Federal Bureau of Prisons is buying the Thomson, Ill. Correctional Center from the state for $165 million, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin’s office announced Tuesday.

The unusual move to “reprogram” existing Justice Department funding bypassed House appropriators, who had objected to the purchase.

An administration official said the deal was to address overcrowding issues, and Thomson would not be used to house any Guantanamo detainees, which the official noted was prohibited by law.

“The entire facility will house only [Bureau of Prison] inmates (up to 2,800) and be operated solely by BOP. Specifically, it will be used for administrative maximum security inmates and others who have proven difficult to manage in high-security institutions,” said the official, who asked not to be named.

[link to www.politico.com]