The Trump administration is preparing to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz Island
\nThe notorious maximum-security prison was shuttered in 1963 due to disrepair and high maintenance costs
\nThe prison, which has operated as a historic site for several decades, remains in a deteriorated state
\nPresident Donald Trump\u2019s administration is taking action to reopen Alcatraz.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Bondi and Burgum\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Burgum confirmed following his tour of Alcatraz that wheels are now in motion on the project, writing on X, \u201cSpent 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis administration is restoring safety, justice, and order to our streets,\u201d he continued. \u201cThe Department of the Interior and The Justice Department are following a directive by the president to help lead that mission.\u201d<\/p>\n
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 \u201cmaximum-security, minimum privilege penitentiary to deal with the most incorrigible inmates.\u201d<\/p>\n
The prison hasn\u2019t housed inmates in 62 years, and has been maintained as a historical site \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019 website. Facility maintenance and restoration efforts cost roughly $3 to $5 million \u2014 not accounting for inflation \u2014 in addition to the cost of day-to-day needs. BOP notes that Alcatraz cost three times more than any other prison.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Alcatraz\u2019s isolation in the center of the San Francisco Bay also incurred higher costs: unlike other prisons at the time, Alcatraz didn\u2019t have access to fresh water and instead received shipments by boat, BOP said.<\/p>\n
News of the Trump administration\u2019s intent to reopen Alcatraz comes less than a month after it unveiled \u201cAlligator Alcatraz,\u201d a facility in Florida\u2019s Everglades meant to house ICE detainees.<\/p>\n
Like its namesake, Alligator Alcatraz relies on a natural perimeter filled with dangerous wildlife, explained Florida attorney general and Trump supporter James Uthmeier.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll have a little bit of additions needed, but there\u2019s really nowhere to go,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you\u2019re housed there, if you\u2019re detained there, there\u2019s no way in, no way out.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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