Donald Trump announced plans to reopen the notorious and infamous Alcatraz prison, which was shut down more than 60 years ago.
In a post on his Truth Social site Sunday evening, Trump directed the Bureau of Prisons, along with other government agencies, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt Alcatraz.
Trump believes the prison could be used once again to house “America’s most ruthless and violent offenders” and serve as a symbol of law and order in the United States.
The prison was closed in 1963 because of crumbling infrastructure (some buildings are deteriorating so badly they no longer have roofs or complete walls) and the high costs of repairing and supplying the island facility. Everything from water, fuel and food had to be shipped in by boat when the prison was open.
A subject of several Hollywood movies, the prison-turned-tourist site sits on an island about a mile and a quarter from shore in San Francisco Bay.
Sources
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/us/alcatraz-trump-tourists.html
https://apnews.com/article/trump-alcatraz-prison-fabe3385415ae03829d44e50efb3c1fb
