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The Rotary Club of Savanna recently heard from Steve Kallis, associate warden from the Thomson Federal Penitentiary.
Kallis described the Thomson facility as being “a city within a fence,” which was purchased by the federal Bureau of Prisons in 2012. The activation process started in September 2014.
“There is still work to be completed in updating the technology of the prison and improving the perimeter fencing prior to any high-security inmates being brought in,” Kallis said.
He said that he has been impressed with the tradesmen in the area and the individuals who have been hired as prison law enforcement employees. The satellite camp has 118 minimum-security prisoners who are expected to complete assigned duties within the prison.
A target date for full activation has not been determined, Kallis said, “and yes, we are definitely going to open.”
The Bureau of Prisons has 121 institutions nationwide, with Thomson being the latest. In 1980, there were only 24,000 inmates in the BOP system; today there are more than 196,000.