So why not re-open the notorious island prison in the San Francisco Bay and send our worst offenders there? He thinks the time is at hand:
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) May 4, 2025
Trump said he’s already ordered his administration to take action:
President Donald Trump has announced plans to instruct his administration to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the infamous prison located on a remote island in California that has not been in operation for over 60 years.
In a message shared on his Truth Social platform on Sunday night, Trump expressed, “America has been too long afflicted by vicious, violent, and repeat offenders, those who contribute nothing but pain and suffering to our society. In times when we were a more serious nation, we did not shy away from imprisoning the most perilous criminals, keeping them far from potential victims. This approach is how it should be.”
He continued to say, “Therefore, I am instructing the Bureau of Prisons, alongside the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen and significantly expand the facilities at Alcatraz to detain the nation’s most dangerous criminals,” he explained, noting, “The new Alcatraz will stand as a symbol of law, order, and justice.”
The historic prison, the subject of numerous movies including “Birdman of Alcatraz,” was shut down in 1963 due to its high operating costs and deteriorating infrastructure. The site was nearly three times more expensive to operate than any other Federal penitentiary, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
