US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he ordered prisons on the Federal Office to rebuild and reopen the sadly famous Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay to “accommodate the most ruthless and violent offenders in America”.
“Rebuild and open Alcatraz!” He posted on the Truth social platform. “When we were a more serious nation, in the past, we did not hesitate to enclose the most dangerous criminals and keep them away from anyone who could harm.”
The Federal Prison of Alcatraz housed notorious American criminals such as Al Capone before its closure in 1963. This is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in San Francisco.
“Today, I direct the prison office, with the Ministry of Justice, FBI and internal security, to reopen an Alcatraz considerably widened and rebuilt,” wrote Trump.
Trump told journalists by returning to the White House of Florida, that the reopening of the prison was “just an idea that I had” and decided to act.
“It is a symbol of law and order,” he said.
Alcatraz was presented as a safest prison in the United States given the location of the island, freezing waters and strong currents. No successful escape has never been officially recorded by Alcatraz, although five prisoners are listed as “missing and alleged drowned”.
Alcatraz was closed because it was too expensive to continue working, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) website, opens a new tab, largely due to its island location. It was almost three times more expensive to operate than any other federal prison, said the BOP website.
Nancy Pelosi, former lecturer of the Chamber and Democratic Legislative in California, minimized the plan of the Republican President.
“Alcatraz has closed as federal penitentiary more than sixty years ago. It is now a very popular national park and a major tourist attraction. The president’s proposal is not serious,” she said in an article on X.
