If the federal government buys the Thomson Correctional Center, many state prison guards in Illinois will not be eligible to work there. That's because they would not meet the age requirements.

Applicants for federal correctional officer jobs must be at least 21 and not older than 37 when they initially apply. 

Cindy Barton of Rock Falls is 49. She is not eligible to apply for a job at Thomson if that prison goes federal. Cindy is a correctional officer in Dwight, Illinois. Likewise for Kirk Wellman, who lives near Erie. He is 53 years old and works at the Dwight Correctional Center. Age also works against him.

Mandy Appleman is 31 years old. She intends to apply for a job if and when Thomson is hiring again.

 Over two hundred officers were trained last year to keep watch over inmates transferred from the state prison in Pontiac to Thomson.  When those plans fell through, they were assigned to other prisons across the state.