Donald Trump’s latest proposal has stirred up a national debate. On Sunday, Trump used social media to announce that he intends to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz as a federal prison. Alcatraz is now a National Park and one of the country’s biggest draws. “The Rock,” as it is better known, brings in millions of tourists a year. It was shut down as a prison in 1963 due to the rising costs of keeping it running and maintained.
Trump Talks Alcatraz On Truth Social
Trump used Truth Social to share that he wants to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz as a federal prison for the nation’s most violent offenders. He says he has directed the Bureau of Prisons, the DOJ, the FBI, and Homeland Security to open and enlarge the facility.
“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. 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. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.”
“That is why, today,” he said, “I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders.”
Tourists Respond
On Monday, tourists who visited Alcatraz were shocked to hear that Trump wanted to reopen the building as a prison. “I think it’s one of the stupidest ideas I’ve ever heard in my life. It would cost billions to refit this building. It’s not even earthquake proof, you guys have earthquakes in California,” tourist Nanc Evans of Washington State said.
“We’re from Australia, derived from convicts, and this is inhumane,” said Doug McColl. Kimberly Cozzolino, visiting from New Jersey, said, “It’s a good idea, sort of, for the bad prisoners, yeah.” Alcatraz opened in 1934 and shut down in 1963 because the prison cost three times more to operate than any other federal prison. It was also closed because the outside of the prison had begun to crumble due to salt weather and extreme weather.
Nancy Pelosi Comments
Nancy Pelosi used X to share her thoughts on the reopening of Alcatraz as a prison: “Alcatraz is now a very popular National Park and a major tourist attraction; the president’s proposal is not a serious one.”
Daniel Lurie, the mayor of San Francisco, agreed with Pelosi, saying, “Speaker Pelosi said it right about Alcatraz, this is not a serious proposal.” San Francisco Assemblyman Matt Haney said, “There’s a lot we could use money on, besides renovating an ancient, crumbling museum on an island.”
Former Prisoner Speaks Out
Even a former inmate of “The Rock” shared his thoughts: “I don’t think he wants to reopen it, he’s trying to draw attention to the crime rate. When I was on Alcatraz, a rat couldn’t survive,” said Charlie Hopkins, who is now in his 90s. Neither the National Park Service nor the Alcatraz ferry company has commented on the situation.
Costs Of Reopening Would Be Massive
Getting the prison up to modern-day standards would be a massive investment and would be done at a time when prisons are being shuttered for similar infrastructure issues. Alcatraz had a reputation for being inescapable due to the cold waters of the Pacific as well as its dangerous currents. It housed some of the nation’s most notorious criminals, including well-known gangsters George “Machine Gun” Kelly and Al Capone.
