Governor Quinn Offers Tamms Prison to Feds

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is offering to sell the Tamms prison to the federal government.

In a letter dated Friday and obtained by The Associated Press, Quinn tells the director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons that the 14-year-old Supermax lockup he plans to close by fall would be a "valuable addition'' to the U.S. correctional system.

The Democratic governor says the high-security Tamms must close to save money. It was built to house inmates who cause trouble in regular penitentiaries. But its costly mission has fallen out of favor with many.

Neither a spokesperson for Quinn nor the federal prison bureau had immediate comment.

Quinn has been criticized by angry southern Illinois lawmakers who want him to keep the prison open and keep its hundreds of employees working.