President Trump on Sunday said that he’s ordering the reopening of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary – the historic prison located in the middle of the San Francisco Bay that closed over six decades ago.
“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,” Trump said on Truth Social.
“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. That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders,” he continued.
Located 1.25 miles offshore from San Francisco, Alcatraz Island was purchased in 1846 for $5,000 – after which President Fillmore ordered it turned into a military reservation in 1850. In 1859 it was used to house soldiers convicted of crimes, transitioning into the official military prison for the US Army’s Department of the Pacific.
In 1933 the US Department of Justice assumed control of the complex and designated Alcatraz a federal prison the next year – where it housed notorious criminals for the next 29 years, including Al Capone, Doc Barker, and Machine Gun Kelly. It was shuttered in 1963 over high operational costs and building corrosion caused by half a century of being located on an island exposed to saltwater and salt-laden air.
“Both the institution and the men confined within its walls reflect our society during this era,” reads the National Park Service’s webpage about the prison, also known as The Rock.
According to Trump, the reopening of Alcatraz is going to “serve as a symbol of Law, Order and JUSTICE.”
Tyler Durden
Sun, 05/04/2025 – 21:35
