The spending bill introduced in Congress this week includes funding to open Thomson Prison in northwest Illinois.
The bill must now be voted on in both chambers and signed into law by President Obama.
The measure does not detail how this funding will be spent.
According to a news release from U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and Rep. Cheri Bustos, the full activation of Thomson is expected to take two years at a cost of $25 million for upgrades and renovations and $170 million for equipment and staffing.
The federal government’s operation of Thomson is expected to create more than 1,100 jobs.
