Federal Correctional Institution · Thomson, Illinois
FCI Thomson
- Security level
- Low + minimum camp
- Population
- 2,118
- Phone
- 815-259-1000
Last checked: November 3, 2026 (BOP documents for this prison) Intel last checked: November 3, 2026 BOP status updated: Nov 3, 2026, 9:20 pm ET News updated: Nov 3, 2026, 3:10 pm ET
Your loved one here? Look up their exact committed name
Thomson at a glance
Thomson is a low-security federal prison (FCI) for men, with a minimum-security satellite prison camp (SCP). It is at 1100 One Mile Road, Thomson, Illinois. Thomson has not posted an Admission and Orientation handbook or a commissary list on the BOP website, so this page has fewer details than most. Ask your loved one about mail, phone, health care, programs and commissary.
- How many people
- 1,962 in the FCI and 156 at the camp (BOP, October 29, 2026).
- Who is there
- Men. On the first day of the 2025 audit, ages ran from 20 to 83. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Thomson (onsite February 11 to 13, 2025) ↗
- Built for
- 1,962 people. The audit counted 1,936 on the first day of the visit. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Thomson (onsite February 11 to 13, 2025) ↗
How far is it from you?
Driving directions (Google Maps) → Bus or train (Google Maps) →
Plan your drive around this: At the FCI, visitors are processed from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. At the camp, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. SHU visitors are not processed after 1:00 p.m. Visits end at 3:00 p.m. Staff stop processing visitors out of the visiting room 30 minutes before visiting ends.
Our miles and time are an estimate from your ZIP code's center. Google Maps gives the exact route. Your ZIP code never leaves your phone unless you tap a Google Maps button.
Visiting hours and days
| Who | Days | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FCI (main prison) | Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays | 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
| Satellite prison camp (SCP) | Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays. Outside visiting is allowed at the camp. | 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
| Special Housing Unit (SHU) | Non-contact, one hour. The rules say visiting for the SHU is allowed Friday, Saturday and Sunday. | 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
At the FCI, visitors are processed from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. At the camp, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. SHU visitors are not processed after 1:00 p.m. Visits end at 3:00 p.m. Staff stop processing visitors out of the visiting room 30 minutes before visiting ends.
The visiting rules give no regular visiting days except Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays (plus Friday for the SHU). Click here to read the source: TOM 5267.09J, Visiting Regulations (June 24, 2025) ↗
The rules at the door: ID, points, what you can bring
- How many visits
- Each person gets 6 visiting points a month. The rules say 2 points are taken for each visit on Saturday and Sunday, "excluding" federal holidays, and they do not say what a holiday costs. Points are cancelled at the end of the month. Click here to read the source: TOM 5267.09J, Visiting Regulations (June 24, 2025) ↗
- How many people
- No more than 4 approved visitors at a time. Up to three children under 10 can be added if they do not take a seat. A child who takes a seat counts as an adult. Children under 16 must be on the visiting list and must come with their parent or legal guardian, who is also on the list. They may only interact with their own children. Click here to read the source: TOM 5267.09J, Visiting Regulations (June 24, 2025) ↗
- ID
- Everyone 16 or older needs a valid state or U.S. government photo ID, such as a driver's license. Teens 16 and 17 must be on the list and come with their parent or legal guardian. Click here to read the source: TOM 5267.09J, Visiting Regulations (June 24, 2025) ↗
- Screening
- Visitors may be screened with electronic drug-detection devices before they are let in. Staff may search you and your things. You may not come in under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or with any weapon. Click here to read the source: TOM 5267.09J, Visiting Regulations (June 24, 2025) ↗
- Money for vending machines
- Up to $20 in coins in a clear container. The attachment to the rules says quarters, not in rolls. Staff do not accept or hold money. The visiting room has vending machines and microwave ovens. Click here to read the source: TOM 5267.09J, Visiting Regulations (June 24, 2025) ↗
- What you can carry
- A small clear plastic container or bag no bigger than 8 x 8 x 8 inches, your photo ID, and the money. Essential medicine (such as an asthma inhaler or nitroglycerine) is kept at the officer's station and needs prior approval when you are placed on the list. No food or drinks. Everything else stays in your car. No cell phones or cameras. Click here to read the source: TOM 5267.09J, Visiting Regulations (June 24, 2025) ↗
- For a baby
- Per child: 2 diapers, 1 unopened pack of wipes, 1 change of clothes, 2 clear baby bottles with contents, 2 small unopened jars of baby food, 1 receiving blanket and 1 clear cup. The rules attach a summary page that lists 4 diapers, 4 bottles and 4 jars of baby food instead, so ask when you call. Click here to read the source: TOM 5267.09J, Visiting Regulations (June 24, 2025) ↗
- What not to wear
- No see-through clothing, dresses above the knee, shorts, mini-skirts, halter tops, tight clothing, open-toed shoes, crocs, or hats and head covers (except religious or medical). No khaki, camouflage or fluorescent orange. No bare feet except for babies. Click here to read the source: TOM 5267.09J, Visiting Regulations (June 24, 2025) ↗
- Touching
- A handshake, embrace and kiss within good taste at the start and end of the visit, with staff watching. No holding hands and no arms around each other. You sit across from each other. Children may sit in a visitor's lap. Click here to read the source: TOM 5267.09J, Visiting Regulations (June 24, 2025) ↗
- When it gets crowded
- Staff may limit how long visits last or how many visitors there are. They consider the room's capacity, how far you traveled, and whether you are local or visit often. Click here to read the source: TOM 5267.09J, Visiting Regulations (June 24, 2025) ↗
- Walsh Act
- People convicted of a sex offense involving a minor have their visits closely monitored. Click here to read the source: TOM 5267.09J, Visiting Regulations (June 24, 2025) ↗
How to get on the visiting list
- Right after they arrive, your loved one gives their Correctional Counselor a list of people they want to visit them. Immediate family (parents, grandparents, stepparents, foster parents, brothers, sisters, spouse and children) are added unless there is good cause not to.
- Everyone on the list, including immediate family, gets a background check and must be approved before a visit.
- The Unit Manager approves or denies each person. If you are denied, the Unit Manager tells your loved one, and they tell you. Do not drive until you are approved.
- The list holds no more than 20 visitors. They can ask for a change at any time by sending an Inmate Request to Staff during Unit Team open house hours.
- Friends and other visitors must usually have known them before prison. The Warden can approve an exception.
- A prior criminal conviction does not automatically bar you. Staff look at your relationship to them and how serious and how recent the conviction is.
- The rules give no form number for the visitor application.
Driving directions (from the BOP)
- Address and airports
- The prison is at 1100 One Mile Road, Thomson, Illinois 61285. Phone (815) 259-1000, Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for regular business. The nearest major airport is Quad City International Airport in Moline, Illinois, 48 miles south. Dubuque Regional Airport in Iowa is 59 miles north. Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Rockford, Illinois also have airports. The rules give no road directions.
Street address for your GPS: 1100 One Mile Road, Thomson, Il 61285.
The BOP beats to its own drum. The front desk has the final say. Keep a spare outfit in the car.
FCI Thomson
Official rules (PDF) En español (PDF)
These rules contradict themselves. When two rules disagree, dress by the stricter one.
| Skirts and dresses | Shorts/skirts/dresses no shorter than 2 inches above mid-knee; no slits above knee. |
|---|---|
| Shorts | Shorts no shorter than 2 inches above mid-knee; attachments ban shorts entirely. |
| Colors to avoid | No brown (khaki) pants, shirts, jackets, or coats at the FCI. No forest/dark green pants, shirts, jackets, or coats at the Camp. No fluorescent orange clothing. No clothing sold to inmates through commissary. |
| Leggings, spandex | No pantyhose-type leggings, jeggings, spandex, or leotards unless lower body covered. No tight or form-fitting dresses or skin-tight pants of any material. |
| Bras and metal | Not in the written rules. Some prisons ban underwire bras anyway, and the penalty can be more than being sent home. Wear a sports bra or a bra with no wire. |
| Camouflage, military | No camouflage clothing. |
| Shoes | Closed-toe shoes required; no open-toe footwear. No house shoes, flip-flops, slippers, or crocs. |
| Children | Length rule applies to persons over 10; babies may be barefoot. |
All 29 rules, in the BOP's own words
Length and fit
- Shorts/skirts/dresses no shorter than 2 inches above mid-knee; no slits above knee.
knee will not be permitted. Shorts, skirts or dresses must not
- Shorts no shorter than 2 inches above mid-knee; attachments ban shorts entirely.
be shorter than two inches above the mid-knee for persons over 10
- No tank tops.
chest/breasts, and back. Tank tops are not permissible. Clothing
- No tops revealing rise of breast or cleavage, low-cut or unbuttoned.
worn in such a way as to reveal the rise of a breast(s) or
- Tops must cover stomach, chest/breasts, and back.
Tops will cover the upper body, including stomach,
- No see-through or transparent clothing.
made of see-through material will not be permitted. Tops that are
- No tight or form-fitting dresses or skin-tight pants of any material.
years of age. Tight or form fitting dresses such as knit,
- No pantyhose-type leggings, jeggings, spandex, or leotards unless lower body covered.
ab Any “pantyhose” type leggings, Jeggings,
- No pants with holes unless lower body is covered.
regardless of the material), or pants with holes, will not be
- No sweat pants or sweat shorts.
population through the commissary such as sweat pants, sweat
Colors and uniforms
- No brown (khaki) pants, shirts, jackets, or coats at the FCI.
shorts, and plain white T-shirts are not permitted. Any - brown
- No forest/dark green pants, shirts, jackets, or coats at the Camp.
(khaki) at the FCI or forest green (dark green) at the Camp -
- No fluorescent orange clothing.
religious or medical headgear. Clothing that is khaki, camouflage and
- No clothing sold to inmates through commissary.
iii. Any clothing accessible to the inmate
- No camouflage clothing.
religious or medical headgear. Clothing that is khaki, camouflage and
Shoes
- Closed-toe shoes required; no open-toe footwear.
blake Closed toe shoes are required. No open-toe
- No house shoes, flip-flops, slippers, or crocs.
flip-flops, slippers) may not be worn. Footwear with rolling
Hats, hoods and coats
- No hats, visors, head wraps, headbands, ball caps, bandanas, sweat bands, do-rags.
iv. Head-wear, such as hats, visors, head wraps,
- Religious (and medical) headwear is allowed.
or headbands (with the exception of religious head-wear) will not
- No hooded clothing or shirts.
be permitted. Sun glasses, or any hooded clothing or shirts will
Children
- Length rule applies to persons over 10; babies may be barefoot.
be shorter than two inches above the mid-knee for persons over 10
Everything else
- No suggestive or offensive words or pictures.
permitted. Clothing with suggestive or offensive words or
- No wrap-around dresses, skirts, or tops.
(2) Dresses, skirts, or tops that wrap around the
- No plain white T-shirts.
shorts, and plain white T-shirts are not permitted. Any - brown
- No sunglasses.
be permitted. Sun glasses, or any hooded clothing or shirts will
- No footwear with rolling heels.
heels is not permitted.
- No culottes.
shorts, mini-skirts, culottes, or excessively tight-fitting clothing will
If they say no
- Visitors violating dress code get chance to change before denial.
given the opportunity to change into appropriate attire prior to
- Only IDO or Operations Lieutenant may deny a visit; other clothing deemed inappropriate banned.
decline the visit. Only the IDO or Operations Lieutenant will
Inmate mailing address
JOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONES Reg. No. 12345-678 FCI Thomson P.O. Box 1002 Thomson, Il 61285
Thomson has not posted a handbook, so we have no Thomson-specific mail rules. Ask your loved one for their register number and unit, and check the BOP's national mail rules.
Use the P.O. Box only. Never mail to the street address (1100 One Mile Road, Thomson, Il 61285).
- Not posted
- The prison's own mail rules are not on the BOP website.
Books and magazines: at a low security prison, soft-cover books and magazines can come from anyone. Hardcovers only from a publisher or bookstore.
How to send money to an inmate here
Money never goes to Thomson. It goes to the BOP, and the BOP puts it on their account. There are 3 ways. Each one below shows you the actual form and exactly what to write in each box, already filled in with their name and number.
First, they must sign the power-of-attorney form (BP-A0407) when they arrive. Until they do, MoneyGram and Western Union money cannot post. Click here to read the source: Program Statement 4500.13, Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual (May 7, 2026) ↗
1. Postal money order Our pick
"Postal" means the U.S. Post Office. A postal money order is one you buy at the counter of a U.S. Post Office, from the United States Postal Service. Money orders sold at Walmart, a grocery store, a bank, Western Union, MoneyGram or a check-cashing store are not postal money orders.
Why it matters: a postal money order has no hold. Once the BOP's lockbox in Des Moines gets it, it goes on their account. Every other money order and every personal or company check is put on a 15-day hold first, and the 15 days only start when the lockbox receives the envelope. Add the days it spends in the mail, and it can be close to three weeks before they can spend it.Click here to read the source: BOP, Sending money by U.S. mail ↗ Foreign money orders and checks are held 45 days. The postal money order is also the cheapest way.
The Post Office's own steps
- Decide the amount. Up to $1,000 in one money order.
- Go to any Post Office.
- Bring cash or a debit card. The Post Office does not take credit cards for money orders.
- Fill it out at the counter with the clerk. Use the boxes below.
- Pay the amount plus the fee: $2.65 for up to $500, $3.75 for $500.01 to $1,000.
- Keep your receipt. You need it to track the money order or replace it if it is lost.Click here to read the source: U.S. Postal Service, Money Orders ↗
- Pay toJOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONEStheir committed name, exactly as the BOP Inmate Locator shows it
- Address (under Pay to)Federal Bureau of Prisons, P.O. Box 474701, Des Moines, IA 50947-0001
- FromMARIA SMITH-JONESyour name
- Address (under From)123 Main Street, Trenton, NJ 08608your address
- MemoReg. No. 12345678their 8-digit register number, no dash
Unconfirmed: the BOP does not say in writing what goes on the "Pay to" line. Their name is what families use. The name and number on the envelope are what the BOP requires.
123 Main Street
Trenton, NJ 08608
Federal Bureau of Prisons JOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONES 12345678 Post Office Box 474701 Des Moines, Iowa 50947-0001
Lost it? Tracking and replacing a money order
- Keep the receipt. You need the serial number, post office number and amount to track it at tools.usps.com/money-orders.htm.
- Lost or stolen: take the receipt to any post office and ask for a Money Order Inquiry. It costs $23 and can take up to 60 days.
2. MoneyGram
Posts in about 2 to 4 hours if sent 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern, any day. Up to $300 per payment. In a store, you fill out the blue ExpressPayment form. This is the BOP's own filled-in sample:
- Company NameFederal Bureau of Prisons
- City & StateWashington, DC
- Receive Code7932always the same
- Account Number of the Bill to Pay12345678SMITHJONESone letter or number per box
- Amount to Payup to $300
- Message to Biller or Beneficiary NameJOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONES
Top section: your own name, address, phone and signature. Pay cash. Keep the receipt with the reference number.
Unconfirmed: some stores now type it into a screen instead of using the paper form. The boxes are the same.
Doing it online or in the MoneyGram app instead
- Go to moneygram.com (Pay Bills) or the MoneyGram app and log in or sign up.
- Search the biller 7932 or "Federal Bureau of Prisons."
- Enter the amount (up to $300) and the account number
12345678SMITHJONES. - Pay with a debit or credit card. A credit card can charge a cash-advance fee.
3. Western Union
Posts in about 2 to 4 hours. In a store, ask for the Quick Collect form ("To Send Money Form for Bill Payments"). Do not ask for a regular money transfer. This is a real Quick Collect form filled in with the BOP's values:
- Dollar Amountyour amount
- Pay toFederal Bureau of Prisons
- Code CityFBOP, DC
- AttentionJOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONES
- Account # with Company (in the SENDER section: this is where people get lost)12345678SMITHJONES
Leave Promo Code blank. Put your own name, phone and address in the rest of the Sender section and sign at 3. Pay cash (some stores take debit). You get a 10-digit tracking number (MTCN). Keep it.
Unconfirmed: some stores have the blue Quick Collect form, some a "Pay a Bill" section, and some a phone to an agent.
Doing it online (Send2Corrections), screen by screen
You need a photo ID to set up the account: your name must match your ID exactly.
- Go to send2corrections.com or the Send2Corrections app. Log in or register.
- "Who are you sending to?" Choose the facility Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP DC).
- Receiver first name, middle name (optional), last name: exactly as the BOP has it.
- Commissary number: type only the 8 digits,
12345678. No dash, no name. The site adds the last name itself and shows the full account number in a grey box you cannot type in. - Ignore the pop-up that says "BOP number will not work." That text shows for every prison. The register number is what works.
- Amount: $1 to $300. Pay by card, or choose "Pay Cash (in-store)" and pay at a Western Union counter within 12 hours, or it cancels.
Hyphenated last name? The site drops the hyphen: Smith-Jones becomes 12345678SMITHJONES.
Money sent to the wrong person is not returned by Western Union. Western Union payments cannot be changed after they are sent.
Phone calls and email
- Not posted
- The prison's own phone and email rules are not on the BOP website. Ask your loved one.
They have to add your number and email to their list first. Emails come through CorrLinks: you get an invitation by email once they add you.
Health care at Thomson
The BOP does not post care levels, and this prison is not on the public-records list we use, so we don't know its care level. Ask the prison or their case manager.
- Not posted
- The prison's own sick call hours and co-pay rules are not on the BOP website. Ask your loved one, or call 815-259-1000.
Programs
- Not posted
- The prison's own program list is not on the BOP website. Ask your loved one.
Safety record
Criminal cases at Thomson
- September 2026A former Thomson correctional officer was sentenced to 3 years in federal prison for sexually abusing 2 inmates. (WQAD)
- May 2026A former Thomson prison employee was found guilty of sexually abusing 2 inmates. (The Quad-City Times)
- August 2025An inmate at Thomson was sentenced to life in prison for a 2020 hate-crime murder of a fellow inmate. (WQAD)
- March 2025A Thomson correctional officer was charged for alleged sex acts with 2 inmates. (WQAD)
Deaths announced by the BOP
- March 5, 2026A 44-year-old man was found unresponsive on March 5, 2026, taken to a hospital by EMS and pronounced dead there. The FBI was notified. Click here to read the source: BOP press release, "Death at FCI Thomson," March 5, 2026 ↗
These are deaths the BOP announced in a press release. The date shown is the date of the release. The BOP does not publish a full count of deaths at each prison, so this is not a total.
Sexual abuse audit (PREA)
The last federal sexual-abuse (PREA) audit visited Thomson February 11 to 13, 2025. Result: 0 standards exceeded, 45 met, 0 not met. In the 12 months before the audit, Thomson recorded 2 sexual-abuse allegations (both against other inmates, none against staff) and 0 sexual-harassment allegations. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Thomson (onsite February 11 to 13, 2025) ↗
An allegation is a report, not a finding. The audit counts reports made, not what investigators concluded.
News about Thomson
- Court Order Restores Union Contract for BOP Law Enforcement Officers at Thomson Federal PrisonEIN Presswire · Sep 30, 2026
- Former Thomson prison employee sentenced for sexually abusing 2 inmatesKWQC · Sep 17, 2026
- Former Thomson prison employee found guilty of sexual acts with inmatesThe Quad-City Times · May 16, 2026
- Former Thomson federal prison employee convicted of sexually abusing two inmatesShaw Local · May 16, 2026
- Crews respond to fire at shooting range near Thomson prisonKWQC · Mar 24, 2026
- BOP: Inmate found unresponsive at FCI Thomson, pronounced dead at hospitalWQAD · Mar 6, 2026
- Officials investigate death of Thomson Federal Prison inmateKWQC · Mar 6, 2026
- Thomson prison cited by OSHA after staff drug exposuresQuad Cities Business Journal · Dec 1, 2025
- OSHA cites FCI Thomson after finding officers at risk of drug exposure in prison mailroomWQAD · Nov 26, 2025
- 15 FCI Thomson corrections officers hospitalized after suspected drug exposure in mailroomCorrections1 · Apr 17, 2025
- Male inmate dies at FCI Thomson; FBI notifiedWQAD · Dec 27, 2024
Stories from news outlets that name FCI Thomson, checked every day. Last updated Nov 3, 2026, 3:10 pm ET. We link to the original story; we did not write these.
Intel from the Inside
Intel last checked: November 3, 2026
Reports from people inside, in their own words. It is how the place really runs, not official policy, and it can change. We never publish names.
No Intel reported for Thomson yet.
Know something about Thomson that families should know? Tell Scooter. Our team checks every report before it goes up, and we never publish names.