FCI Thomson (low-security)

FCI Thomson is a low-security federal correctional institution for men in Thomson, Illinois, operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It held about 1,966 people as of November 2025. It does not offer the Residential Drug Abuse Program. The institution's main number is 815-259-1000.

MALE

Gender

LOW

Security Level

1966

Population (Nov. 2025)

No RDAP

Location

Physical location: THOMSON, IL 61285

Mailing address: 1100 ONE MILE ROAD, THOMSON, IL 61285

Visitation

There are many specific rules and procedures to be aware of when you're considering visiting the institution. Read more on our Visitation Guide.

For full, current visiting rules and scheduling, always check the institution's official page on the Bureau of Prisons website: Official BOP Page.

Daily life and programs

FCI Thomson is a low-security federal prison for men situated in the village of Thomson, Illinois. Located in Carroll County near the Mississippi River, the site lies roughly 150 miles west of Chicago. The Bureau of Prisons operates the facility within its North Central Region. Spanning about 146 acres, the complex contains roughly 15 buildings. The property is ringed by a 15-foot, 7,000-volt electric fence and exterior razor wire, which reflect its origins as a high-security plant. An adjacent minimum-security satellite camp houses a much smaller population that handles much of the institution's grounds and support labor. As of recent counts, the main low-security institution holds approximately 1,900 men, with roughly 130 to 150 additional men residing at the satellite camp.

The physical prison predates the federal facility that currently occupies it. Between 1999 and 2001, the State of Illinois constructed the complex as Thomson Correctional Center at a cost of about 140 million dollars. It subsequently sat largely empty for years because the state could not afford to staff it. In October 2012, the federal Bureau of Prisons purchased the property for about 165 million dollars. After activation, the BOP operated the facility as USP Thomson, a high-security penitentiary, and relocated its Special Management Unit (SMU) there following the closure of the SMU at USP Lewisburg. The institution was fully activated around January 2019.

During its high-security SMU years, Thomson attracted intense scrutiny. A joint investigation by NPR and The Marshall Project found that the facility had quickly become one of the deadliest federal prisons. After the unit opened, there were multiple suspected homicides and suspected suicides, alongside allegations that men were beaten while shackled and that volatile prisoners were double-celled together and locked down for nearly 24 hours a day. Amid the fallout, the BOP relocated the SMU and other high-security inmates in early 2023. By August 2023, the agency converted the institution to low security and began filling it with low-security men. However, reporting noted that even after this conversion, the facility retained penitentiary-style hardware, including locking steel cell doors and overnight lockdown. This fact remains an important caveat for anyone comparing it to a purpose-built low.

Daily life and programming at FCI Thomson generally follow a standard low-security pattern with some gaps in services. The BOP confirms that the institution does not currently offer the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP), although non-residential drug education may be available, and the presence of UNICOR (Federal Prison Industries) is not confirmed for the site. Inmates have access to various recreational amenities, which include a walking track, basketball, handball and racquetball courts, softball fields, weight machines, and hobby craft. Financial and communication privileges are strictly regulated; commissary spending is capped near 360 dollars per month, and phone access provides about 300 minutes per month with roughly 15-minute call limits. Additionally, external communication runs through TRULINCS email, traditional mail, and video visiting. Meanwhile, first-hand posts from families in early 2024 describe navigating sudden lockdowns and weighing the facility's harsh SMU-era reputation against its newer low-security mission.

First-hand accounts

First-person accounts and reporting about life at this facility. Experiences are individual and may not reflect current conditions.

• FCI Thomson - Low Security - Reddit. A partner of a man newly sentenced and awaiting transfer (via FTC Oklahoma) to low-security FCI Thomson asks the community for insight on the facility and how things work. First-hand loved-one perspective on the intake-to-designation process for the low-security institution.
• FCI Thomson lockdown? - Reddit. Partner of a man currently incarcerated at FCI Thomson (low security) reports that he called to say the unit was going on lockdown, and asks how to find out why and how long lockdowns typically last. First-hand account of the facility's operational conditions in 2024.
• FCI Thomson?? - Reddit. A loved one of an incoming inmate (minimum security, 9-year term) notes that searches surface mostly older scandals and violence and asks whether conditions have improved and what to expect on phones, tablets and general life. Captures the reputation-versus-present tension after the SMU era.
• FCI Thomson (corrections-officer interview) - Reddit. A prospective BOP officer with an interview at FCI Thomson asks working staff about the prison, overtime load and livable nearby towns. Staff-side first-hand perspective on the facility's working conditions and staffing pressures in 2025.
• FCI Thomson (what to expect) - Reddit. An incoming inmate heading to FCI Thomson at the end of the month asks for experience and recommendations on what to expect. Indicates the low-security institution houses part of the BOP's sex-offense population; a neutral, first-hand pre-arrival inquiry.