On Sunday, President Trump called for the infamous prison on Alcatraz Island to be rebuilt and reopened.
While it was once home to some of the most notorious U.S. prisoners, the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary today serves as a popular tourist destination in the waters off San Francisco. Now, the President hopes to revive the fortified complex to house some of the worst criminals in the country.
“REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ! For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering. When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm,” the resident wrote on Truth Social on May 4.
President Trump said he is directing the Bureau of Prisons alongside the Department of Justice, Homeland Security, and the FBI to not only reopen the former federal penitentiary but also enlarge it “to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders.”
“That’s the way it’s supposed to be. No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets… We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and Judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals, who came into our Country illegally,” the President continued.
Alcatraz was an active prison for just under three decades after opening in 1934. Since it sits on an island in shark-infested waters, it was considered a nearly impossible facility to escape.
In its 29-year history, 14 escapes were recorded, the most famous of which was in 1962 by John Anglin, Clarence Anglin, and Frank Morris. It was never confirmed if the trio reached the shore, but the FBI believes they drowned in the harsh surrounding environment.
Before shuttering in 1963, the facility housed notorious inmates like Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and Robert Stroud, the “Birdman of Alcatraz. “