Announcing his idea on his Truth Social platform, 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. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.”
The new Alcatraz, he said, should be “substantially enlarged and rebuilt,” to house “the dregs of society” to “serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE.”
For a president notionally concerned with cutting waste and eliminating America’s debts, that could prove a problem.
The US Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) says on its website that Alcatraz was originally closed “because the institution was too expensive to continue operating”.
An aerial view of Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay (Photo: Carlos Barria/Reuters)
With the prison located in the middle of San Francisco Bay, and surrounded by strong currents, everything from fuel, food and building materials had to be brought by boat.
“The Federal Government found that it was more cost-effective to build a new institution than to keep Alcatraz open.”
Not really escape-proof
In the 29 years it was open, 36 men attempted 14 separate escapes from Alcatraz, according to the FBI. Nearly all were caught or didn’t survive the attempt.
Bringing the facility up to modern-day standards would require massive investments, and would be out of place with efforts by the Bureau of Prisons to close down outdated facilities elsewhere.
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Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, has for the last four months been working to downsize the workforce under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk’s decisions have often sent shocks through the federal government and drawn intense scrutiny.
In a so-called “skinny budget”, the White House on Friday said Congress should provide $33.2bn to the Justice Department for the next fiscal year, down from its current funding level of $36bn.
Elsewhere, officials have been more focused on closing prisons, announcing in December the shuttering of six federal prison camps and FCI Dublin in California.
Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Marine One at the White House in Washington, DC (Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP)Trump’s prison plan
Trump’s directive to reopen Alcatraz is the latest salvo in his effort to overhaul how and where federal prisoners and immigration detainees are locked up.
Alcatraz, he said, has long been a “symbol of law and order. You know, it’s got quite a history.”
He has complained that the legal system prevents him from protecting the US, and has warmed to the idea of shipping accused criminals to other countries.
A spokesperson for BOP said in a statement that the agency “will comply with all Presidential Orders.”
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