Should Illinois Be Chosen for a Supermax Facility for Gitmo Detainees?

Gitmo detainees may soon be moved from the offshore military base in Cuba where they are currently housed. The latest proposal for alleged terrorists is to transfer them to a remote Illinois location.

Gitmo has been controversial in the last few years; liberals foremost championing shutting the facility down amidst claims of torture and unfair practices. Water boarding and holding alleged terrorists without charges for prolonged periods have contributed to the concern for detainees. Many feel this is a black mark for the United States in the worldwide view from other nations. Mr. Obama has vocalized his opinion that the prisoners would be dealt a better hand at due process and justice through federal courts in the US compared to the military hearings at Gitmo.

President Obama signed the executive order to close Gitmo in January of 2009. The time frame from the signing of the order to actual closing was one year. We are fast approaching the deadline with no concrete plan in place. Illinois, coincidentally the same state Mr. Obama represented as a senator, is now at the top of the list for housing detainees from Gitmo. Congress will have the final word on moving detainees, they must vote to permit prisoners to be housed in the US for reasons other than trial.

In order to transfer the alleged terrorists to Illnois, the government would purchase the Thompson Correctional Center for $145 million. Locally, support is strong; the population is experiencing unemployment at the rate of 10.5 percent. According to the White House, if the prison in Guantanamo Bay is closed, as many as 3000 jobs could possibly be created at the Thompson Correctional Center.

Although this may be a good way to uplift the local economy in Illinois questions remain. Many U.S. citizens are against the idea of having Gitmo detainees living here. Gitmo can be considered the Ivy League prison of terrorists; some of the very worst (alledged terrorists) are presently occupying cells. Some will be released with an improved education of terrorism tactics due to the mere environment of their surroundings. Once released, they do not even have to find entry into the US, they would already be here.

The very nature of terrorism invokes zealots. Many detainees have previously established ties with other warmongers before they were even captured. Networks already established could conceivably be carefully nurtured and expanded while in prison.

The Obama administration could take a portion of the proposed $145 million to install an oversight committee for due process and fair treatment at Gitmo. The remainder of the funds could be infused back into the US economy. One possibility for the use of leftover funds could be to strengthen Homeland Security. Utilizing funds in this manner would assist in greater security measures to prevent terrorist activity on our soil. It would also have the added benefit of creating more jobs.

The detainees are prisoners of war and it is possible some would like nothing better than to strike back at the US with an incident similar to 9/11.

Gitmo has experienced some bad press because of in-house practices, applications publicly declared foul and inhumane. If Gitmo were to be run like the supermax prison proposed in Illinois, why move it at all?