United States President Donald Trump said on Sunday (4) that he would order the government to reconstruction and reopen Alcatraz, an old prison on a small island of the same name on the coast of San Francisco.
The site has already housed some of the most dangerous criminals in the US, including Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly and James “Whitey” Bulger.
The arrest, which closed 60 years ago due to precarious infrastructure and high maintenance costs, “will serve as a symbol of law, order and justice,” Trump wrote in a publication on Sunday on Sunday, later saying reporters who was “just an idea” that he had while federal judges pressed to ensure that the migrants deported had due process of law.
On Monday (5), US Department of Prison Department William K. Marshall III said his agency will “seek all means” to implement Trump’s plans for Alcatraz’s reopening.
“I requested an immediate assessment to determine our needs and the next steps. The USP of Alcatraz has a rich history. We look forward to restoring this powerful symbol of law, order and justice. We will actively work with our police authorities and other federal partners to restore this important mission,” Marshall said in a statement.
Now an important milestone and tourist destination, Alcatraz has been one of the most fortified military places on the west coast, before becoming a notorious federal penitentiary in 1934.
Being a maximum security arrest surrounded by the strong and cold currents of the Pacific, the site had a reputation for being an “last resort” installation, where the most dangerous and indiscipline of other arrests were sent.
It was virtually impossible to escape despite the numerous attempts reported.
“Maximum security, minimum privilege”
The strategic location of Alcatraz Island, at the entrance of São Francisco Bay, made it ideal for defense.
The US Army built a fort there in the 1850s and equipped it with the artillery needed to protect the bay from foreign invasions amid growing US US interests.
It was also used to protect St. Francis from Confederate Invaders during the Civil War.
Soon after, it became a military prison, which remained until the twentieth century.
In 1933, the US Army delivered Alcatraz to the Justice Department, starting almost three decades in which the island served as a federal prison.
With its isolated location and basic amenities, “The Rock”, as it became known, aimed to convey a message to criminals.
“The federal government has decided to open a maximum security penitentiary and minimal privileges to deal with the most incorrigible detainees of federal prisons and to show the law enforcement public that the federal government took seriously the intention of containing the unbridled crime of the 1920s and 1930s,” according to the Federal Department of Prisons.
The prisoners in Alcatraz had four rights: food, clothing, shelter and medical assistance – all other privileges, including family visits or access to books, art materials and music, had to be won.
Despite all his infamy, Alcatraz had an average prison population of 260 to 275 prisoners at any time – less than 1% of the total population of federal prisons.
Most prisoners were among those who refused to obey the rules of other federal prisons or who were considered “risk of escape.”
Escape in 1962 defined the notoriety of prison
Alcatraz had 14 escape attempts involving 36 men over her 29 years as a federal prison. Officially, no one has ever managed to reach the continent alive.
The attempted most successful-and elaborated-escape from 1962, when Frank Morris and his brothers John and Clarence Anglin disappeared from the cells and were never seen again.
The escape was dramatized in Clint Eastwood, 1979’s “Alcatraz Escape”.
The FBI investigation of the escape has revealed an “ingenious” plan elaborated over several months.
Using home spoons and tools – including a drill made with a vacuum engine – the detainees dug ventilation pipelines behind their cells, which they used to set up a makeshift workshop at the top of the block.
They created false heads of plaster – complete with real human hair.
The men secretly set up a makeshift raft and life jackets with more than 50 stolen raincoats, using the heat of steam pipes to seal the materials, the researchers discovered.
On the night of the escape, they used their doll heads to fool the night guards as they escaped from the cells. Then they crawled by a well of ventilation in the prison ceiling, which they had previously opened and left temporarily trapped with a soap bolt.
It is believed that the group was never able to land and disappeared in the cold waters of São Francisco Bay. The FBI concluded that they probably drowned, but no body was recovered.
Sightings and occasional clues have maintained the case open for decades.
High costs and precarious conditions forced the closure of the prison
When Alcatraz’s arrest closed, the walls of the building were eroded by the sea.
Authorities estimated that it would take between $ 3 million and $ 5 million to restore and maintain installation – excluding daily operating costs.
“Alcatraz was almost three times more expensive to operate than any other federal prison,” according to the Federal Department of Prisons website.
After closing, the island remained virtually unusable until 1969, when a group of native American activists occupied it for 19 months in protest, claiming it under the Treaty of Fort Laramie.
Today, Alcatraz is administered by the National Parks Service as a tourist destination, receiving approximately 1.2 million visitors per year.
It was designated as a national historical landmark in 1986, but such designation “can be considered for withdrawal at the request of the owner or at the initiative of the Secretary of the Interior”, according to the National Parks Service.
There are certain conditions that make a milestone eligible for the loss of designation, such as “meeting the designation criteria; the qualities for which it was originally designated were lost or destroyed”.
THE CNN contacted the Interior Department and the National Parks Service for comments.
Former House Mayor Nancy Pelin, California Democrat whose district includes Alcatraz, rejected the president’s proposal, calling her “little serious.”
“Alcatraz closed as a federal penitentiary for over sixty years. Now it’s a very popular national park and a major tourist attraction. The president’s proposal is not serious,” wrote the congressman on Sunday (4) at X.
Alcatraz Closed as the federal penitentary more than sixty years ago. It is now a Very Popular National Park and Major Tourist Attraction. The President’s proposed is not a serious one. https://t.co/alkxzlwlzo
– Nancy Pelasi (@speakerpelosi) May 5, 2025
This content was originally published in know the history of Alcatraz prison that Trump wants to reopen in the US on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
