Warden's Life Threatened for Tackling Abuse in Federal Prison

Thomas Bergami, the former warden of Thomson penitentiary in Illinois, faced death threats from corrections officers after attempting to address the culture of abuse and impunity at the prison. In handwritten letters, incarcerated individuals warned prison officials that officers were attempting to bribe prisoners to attack the warden and one of his captains. Despite an investigation by the Bureau of Prisons, no specific dates or times were provided to confirm or refute the allegations. Bergami and his former top deputy described a prison where dangerous guards couldn't be fired, the officers' union resisted accountability, and other agency managers undermined their efforts for change. The prison, previously known for multiple deaths and extreme mistreatment, has since been converted to a low-security institution, but reports suggest that the abusive environment persists.