The Trump administration is preparing to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz Island
The notorious maximum-security prison was shuttered in 1963 due to disrepair and high maintenance costs
The prison, which has operated as a historic site for several decades, remains in a deteriorated state
President Donald Trump’s administration is taking action to reopen Alcatraz.
After Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum toured the infamous island prison on Thursday, July 17, the Trump administration announced that work has begun to make Alcatraz a functioning prison site again.
The San Francisco facility, currently operating as a museum and National Historic Landmark, was widely known for its rough conditions and, due to its maintenance cost, was shuttered in 1963.
Bondi and Burgum’s visit to Alcatraz Island was seen as a concrete step toward reviving the prison. In May, Trump directed his administration to make a plan for enlarging and rebuilding the facility.
Burgum confirmed following his tour of Alcatraz that wheels are now in motion on the project, writing on X, “Spent the day on Alcatraz Island, a National Park Service site, to start the work to renovate and reopen the site to house the most dangerous criminals and illegals.”
“This administration is restoring safety, justice, and order to our streets,” he continued. “The Department of the Interior and The Justice Department are following a directive by the president to help lead that mission.”
Alcatraz was initially built in the 1850s as a military fortress, per the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and was converted to a military prison shortly thereafter. In 1933, Alcatraz was formally turned into a “maximum-security, minimum privilege penitentiary to deal with the most incorrigible inmates.”
The prison hasn’t housed inmates in 62 years, and has been maintained as a historical site — not as a livable facility. Photos from inside Alcatraz show a worn and dated interior, as well as rust, water damage and deteriorating sinks and toilets.
The prison was ultimately closed because it had fallen too far into disrepair and was too costly to maintain or fix, according to the Bureau of Prisons’ website. Facility maintenance and restoration efforts cost roughly $3 to $5 million — not accounting for inflation — in addition to the cost of day-to-day needs. BOP notes that Alcatraz cost three times more than any other prison.
Furthermore, Alcatraz’s isolation in the center of the San Francisco Bay also incurred higher costs: unlike other prisons at the time, Alcatraz didn’t have access to fresh water and instead received shipments by boat, BOP said.
News of the Trump administration’s intent to reopen Alcatraz comes less than a month after it unveiled “Alligator Alcatraz,” a facility in Florida’s Everglades meant to house ICE detainees.
Like its namesake, Alligator Alcatraz relies on a natural perimeter filled with dangerous wildlife, explained Florida attorney general and Trump supporter James Uthmeier.
“We’ll have a little bit of additions needed, but there’s really nowhere to go,” he said. “If you’re housed there, if you’re detained there, there’s no way in, no way out.”
