US President Donald Trump has announced that he has instructed officials to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the infamous federal prison situated on an island off California’s coast, which ceased operations six decades ago, reports RTE.
Trump said on his Truth Social platform that the revamped facility would house “America’s most ruthless and violent offenders,” and confirmed plans for it to be “substantially enlarged.”
Alcatraz, originally shut down in 1963 due to high operational expenses, served as a federal prison for just 29 years, according to the US Bureau of Prisons. Today, it is a well-known tourist destination, reports RTE.
Positioned roughly 2km from San Francisco’s coast, the facility could accommodate up to 336 inmates and once held some of the country’s most infamous criminals, such as Al Capone. The prison became legendary for several dramatic but ultimately unsuccessful escape attempts.
Trump has made fighting crime a central issue in his bid for a second term in office, reports RTE.
“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,” Mr Trump wrote, reports RTE.
“No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets,” he added, reports RTE.
Speaking to reporters on his return to the White House from Florida, Trump said the idea to reopen the facility came to him recently: “Just an idea I’ve had” and that he chose to act on it.
“It’s a symbol of law and order,” he said, reports RTE.
Alcatraz had once been considered the most secure prison in the country due to its isolated island location, cold waters, and strong ocean currents.
Officially, no inmate ever successfully escaped from the prison, though five men are recorded as “missing and presumed drowned,” reports RTE.
According to the Bureau of Prisons, Alcatraz was closed because it was too costly to run, especially due to the logistical challenges of its island location.
The BOP noted it was almost three times as expensive to maintain compared to other federal facilities, reports RTE.
Former House Speaker and Democratic representative Nancy Pelosi dismissed the Republican president’s plan.
“Alcatraz closed as a federal penitentiary more than 60 years ago. It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction. The President’s proposal is not a serious one,” she said in a post on X, reports RTE.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
