Former President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he is ordering federal agencies to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the former maximum-security island prison in San Francisco Bay, to house what he described as “America’s most dangerous and violent offenders.”
Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform:
“Too long has America been victimized by brutal, violent and repeat Criminal Offenders. When we were a more serious Country, we weren’t afraid to lock up the worst criminals, and keep them far, far away from anyone they might harm. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.”
Trump said he is directing the Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security to “reopen a substantially enlarged and improved ALCATRAZ.”
He added that reopening Alcatraz would stand as a symbol of law, order, and justice.
In a statement to The Associated Press, a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson said the agency ‘will comply with all Presidential Orders,’ but declined to comment on whether the matter is under consideration or if it is feasible to reopen the prison, especially since Alcatraz Island is now under the control of the National Park Service.
Trump’s Controversial Criminal Justice Views
The plan comes after Trump’s escalating assaults on the judicial system, particularly judges who he blames for frustrating his efforts to speed up deportations and incarceration. He recently suggested sending suspected gang members—and even U.S. citizens—to foreign prisons, including a notorious one in El Salvador, without due process.
“So many of these radicalized judges wish to have trials for every person,” Trump said to reporters Sunday evening. “Imagine. Every person that is in our country illegally.”
He did acknowledge the dark history of Alcatraz but presented it as a worthwhile deterrent:
It may carry negative connotations, but it still represents law and order.
A Brief History of Alcatraz
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary was a maximum-security prison for the most problematic federal inmates between 1934 and 1963. Its isolated island location rendered escape almost impossible, yet 36 men tried in 14 attempts. Most were recaptured; others were killed or drowned.
The prison was famously home to the likes of Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and Alvin Karpis, but the majority of its inhabitants were not well-known criminals but repeat rule-breakers from other prisons.
With an average population of 260 to 275 inmates, the prison was expensive to run—three times more per prisoner than other federal prisons due to its remoteness and logistical challenges in providing for the prison. It was officially shut down on March 21, 1963, due to economic factors.
Alcatraz Today
After its closure, Alcatraz became an icon of popular culture, and films like Escape from Alcatraz and The Rock are inspired by it. In 1972, the island became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and in 1973, it was opened to visitors.
Alcatraz Island is now one of the most visited sites in the National Park System.
Reactions to Trump’s Proposal
Critics were quick to respond to the proposal. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose district includes Alcatraz, dismissed the proposal.
“It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction. The President’s proposal is not a serious one,” Pelosi tweeted.
It is uncertain how Trump’s proposal would be brought to fruition, given the island is now safeguarded federal parkland and the immense logistic and financial challenges in resurrecting the decades-shuttered prison.
