Why America's most notorious prison closed down as Donald Trump orders for its reopening
More than six decades after it shut its doors, Donald Trump has announced that he wants to reopen America's most notorious penitentiary.
The US president has called for Alcatraz to be 'rebuilt' and restored to its former glory, reviving what was the world's most secure prison in its heyday to house the 'most dangerous criminals'.
The infamous lockup - which has been the subject of many Hollywood blockbusters, including The Rock and Escape from Alcatraz - could soon incarcerate some of the most 'ruthless and violent offenders' under Trump's plans.
He made his intentions known in a post on his social media platform Truth Social yesterday (4 May), saying he wants to send 'vicious, violent, and repeat criminal offenders' who he dubbed 'the dregs of society' to Alcatraz.
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"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," the president said.
"That’s the way it’s supposed to be," Trump wrote. "No longer will we tolerate these serial offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets.
"That is why, today, 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. We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals, who came into our country illegally."
He insisted the reopening would 'serve as a symbol of law, order, and justice' - but it's not clear whether he's taken into account how much of a hassle it would be to breathe new life into Alcatraz.
Why was Alcatraz closed down?
The prison, which sits on an island off the coast of San Francisco, was shut down in March 1963, 29 years after it had first opened.
A host of notorious criminals served time there, including gangsters such as Al Capone, Mickey Cohen and George 'Machine Gun' Kelly.
The very last inmate to leave the dilapidated maximum security prison, gun smuggler Frank C Weatherman, said of its closure: "Good. Good for me. Good for everyone. Alcatraz never was no good."
He was one of the dozens of prisoners who were shuttled to other penitentiaries across the States after the government announced it was abandoning Alcatraz.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons said that it was simply far too expensive to keep it open, as it accrued costs which were triple that of other prisons in the US.
Alcatraz was in desperate need of a facelift, but it just wasn't financially viable, as it would have cost between $3-5 million - which is about $31-52m in today's money, according to Sky News - to restore and maintain the facility.
On top of that, given that it is plonked in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, all supplies had to be sent there by boat.
That's staff, food, fuel and even water - as there was no source of fresh water on The Rock, so almost one million gallons of the stuff were barged to the island each week, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Announcing its closure at the time, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy said: "It’s so much more expensive to feed prisoners there than at any other federal prison."
George Christopher, who was the Mayor of San Francisco, also told the public that the prison was in a 'deteriorated condition and may require up to $5 million for its rehabilitation'.
Alcatraz prisoners cost $13 per day to house, which was more than 2.5 times the $5 average in the entire federal prison system, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The island has been operating as a tourist attraction since the prison's closure 62 years ago.
Is reopening Alcatraz realistic?
In the eyes of Democrat and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the idea of reopening Alcatraz is 'not a serious one'.
In a post on X discussing the prospect of Trump's plans becoming a reality, she said: "Alcatraz closed as a federal penitentiary more than sixty years ago. It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction.
"The President’s proposal is not a serious one."
Fellow Democrat and San Francisco's state senator, Scott Wiener, also shared the same sentiment, describing the idea as another bid from Trump to 'sabotage the rule of law'.
In a social media post, he wrote: "Trump's edict that Alcatraz - which is a museum - will be reopened as a prison is absurd on its face.
"This major tourist attraction generates significant revenue for the federal government and supports many jobs. But apart from Trump's continuing unhinged behaviour, this action is part of Trump's ongoing crusade to sabotage the rule of law. He specifically points to judges who won't let him deport whomever he wants without due process as justification for this stunt.
"If Trump is serious about doing this, it's just one more step in his dismantling of democracy - a domestic gulag right in the middle of San Francisco Bay."
Topics: US News, Crime, Prison, Donald Trump
Olivia Burke