Plans to revive a long-shut prison were announced by President Donald Trump, as he said he would instruct the Federal Bureau of Prisons to reconstruct and bring back Alcatraz, the isolated facility located in San Francisco Bay.
His aim, according to the statement, is to use the site for locking up what he described as America’s most brutal and dangerous lawbreakers.
He shared this decision in a post dated May 4 on Truth Social. “REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!” he wrote in all capital letters.
Trump claimed that during more serious periods in U.S. history, people never hesitated to jail violent individuals and place them far away from anyone they could hurt.
Historic Prison Site May Return to Active Use
Once home to well-known criminals like Al Capone, Alcatraz was permanently shut down in 1963. Since then, it has become one of the most visited tourist locations in the San Francisco area. Tourists often check the site for its unique history, but Trump wants it back in use for federal detention purposes.
Trump said in his post that he is asking several major security agencies, including the Department of Justice, the FBI, and Homeland Security, to join efforts with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Their assignment, according to him, is to reopen Alcatraz in an expanded and upgraded form so it can house new prisoners.
Cost Remains a Barrier to Revival
While the idea has stirred interest, this concept has been considered before without success. Information from the Federal Bureau of Prisons explains that Alcatraz was shut down mainly because of its high maintenance costs.
Due to its position on an island, the operating expenses were almost three times higher than what it took to run other federal prisons across the country.
The isolation that made Alcatraz secure also made it too expensive to sustain. Whether Trump’s proposal will gain approval or not remains unclear, especially with the financial demands of reconstructing and staffing such a facility.
