Former President Donald Trump has announced a controversial proposal to reopen Alcatraz, the infamous island prison off the coast of San Francisco, as a facility for the country’s most violent offenders. In a post on Truth Social, Trump declared his intention to “rebuild and open Alcatraz,” arguing that America needs a tougher approach to crime.
“REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!” Trump wrote. “For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat criminal offenders—the dregs of society who contribute nothing but misery and suffering.” He emphasized that only the most dangerous criminals would be sent there, reviving an old-school approach to incarceration.
Alcatraz, which closed in 1963 due to high operating costs, once housed some of America’s most notorious criminals. Trump’s plan would involve expanding and modernizing the facility, working with the Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Justice, and Homeland Security.
The prison’s dark history includes infamous inmates like Al Capone, the Chicago gangster convicted of tax evasion, and Robert Stroud, the “Birdman of Alcatraz,” who studied birds while serving time for murder. Other well-known prisoners included George “Machine Gun Kelly” Barnes and the only escapees who were never found—Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers, who vanished in 1962.
While Trump didn’t specify a timeline, his proposal has reignited debate about crime, punishment, and whether America needs a return to its toughest prison.
