US President Donald Trump has ordered the Bureau of Prisons to renovate and reopen the infamous Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay to house, as he said, the most brutal and violent American criminals.
“Renovate and reopen Alcatraz!” Trump posted on the Truth Social platform, adding:
“When we were a more serious nation, in the past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals and keep them away from anyone they could harm.”
The federal prison at Alcatraz housed notorious American criminals such as Al Capone before it was closed in 1963. It is now one of San Francisco’s most popular tourist destinations, Reuters reports.
“I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, in conjunction with the Department of Justice, the FBI and the National Security Agency, to reopen a greatly expanded and renovated Alcatraz,” Trump wrote, according to Al Jazeera.
Alcatraz has been declared the most secure prison in the United States due to its island location, icy waters and strong currents. No successful escape from Alcatraz has ever been officially recorded, although five inmates are missing and presumed drowned.
Alcatraz was closed because it was too expensive to continue operating, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) website, in large part because of its island location. It was nearly three times more expensive to operate than any other federal prison.
Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Democratic Representative from California, downplayed the US President’s plan in her comment.
“Alcatraz was closed as a federal prison over sixty years ago. It is now a very popular national park and a major tourist attraction. The president’s proposal is not serious,” Pelosi said in a post on X.
