By Steve Neavling
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he plans to reopen and expand Alcatraz as a federal prison, saying the historic facility would serve as a symbol of law and order under his leadership.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he directed the Bureau of Prisons, Justice Department, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security to work together to rebuild the shuttered island penitentiary to house what he called “America’s most ruthless and violent offenders.”
“For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering,” Trump wrote. “When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm.”
Trump said the revamped Alcatraz would target serial offenders, undocumented immigrants accused of crimes, and others he blamed for crime in U.S. cities. He also took aim at judges, saying some were “afraid to do their job.”
Alcatraz, located in San Francisco Bay, was shut down by the federal government in 1963 after officials determined it was too expensive to operate. At the time, the Bureau of Prisons noted it cost nearly three times more to run than other federal facilities because basic supplies — including water — had to be shipped to the island.
The former prison, once home to notorious figures like Al Capone, is now one of San Francisco’s most visited tourist attractions.
