Thomson Federal Prison correctional officers and staff will receive an increase in their locality pay following a recommendation from the President’s Pay Agent, which consists of the secretary of labor, the directors of the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management.

The American Federation of Government Employees Local 4070 has been lobbying for the locality pay change for several years as part of a larger effort to address critical staffing shortages at the high-security federal prison which currently houses 987 inmates; 865 at the main prison and 122 at the satellite camp. 

“We are beyond pleased that our hard-working employees will be moved into the higher paying locality,” said AFGE Local 4070 President John Zumkehr in a press release. “This change, in addition to the 25% retention pay we already secured, will go a long way toward helping us retain our experienced staff and recruit the additional staff we desperately need.” 

USP Thomson is located in Carroll County, Ill., which has seen large enough increases in federal employment during the past year to qualify the prison for moving up in pay locality rank to include six counties surrounding Davenport and Moline.

Following pressure from Illinois Democratic Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin and U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Moline, the Federal Office of Personnel and Management approved a 25% retention pay increase in September for all officers and staff at USP Thomson in an effort to keep the prison from losing employees.