President Trump has unveiled plans to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz prison to detain America’s most dangerous criminals, calling it a return to a time when the country dealt more firmly with lawlessness.
US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he has directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons to rebuild and reopen the infamous Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay, intending to house the country’s “most ruthless and violent offenders”.
Posting on the Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: “REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ! 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.”
Alcatraz, once regarded as America’s most secure prison, previously held notorious criminals such as Al Capone before it was closed in 1963. It has since become one of San Francisco’s most visited tourist destinations and a protected national park.
Trump stated that he was instructing the Department of Justice, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Prisons to support the reopening of a “substantially enlarged and rebuilt” facility on the island.
Speaking to reporters upon returning to the White House from Florida, the president described the idea as spontaneous. “It’s just an idea I’ve had,” he said. “It’s a symbol of law and order.”
Alcatraz was originally shut down due to its high running costs, which were nearly three times that of other federal prisons, largely because of its isolated island location and the logistical difficulties of staffing and maintaining it.
Democratic lawmaker and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi dismissed the announcement, saying it was not a serious proposal. “Alcatraz closed as a federal penitentiary more than sixty years ago. It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction,” she posted on X.
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