(AFP) – US President Donald Trump asked Congress on Friday for $152 million to begin rebuilding the notorious Alcatraz prison, pressing ahead with his vision to return the former island lockup to active use. The funding request, included in the White House’s proposed 2027 budget, would cover the first year of converting the San Francisco Bay site into what officials describe as a “state-of-the-art secure prison facility.”
Trump has pushed for reopening Alcatraz since last year, portraying it as a symbol of a tougher approach to crime. In a social media post at the time, he called for a “substantially enlarged and rebuilt” facility to house the country’s most dangerous offenders. The proposal comes as part of a broader Justice Department budget that emphasizes prison investment and law enforcement, though such requests are ultimately subject to approval by Congress.
Political news outlet Axios, citing administration officials, reported that any “supermax” prison complex at the site would have to be built from scratch — putting the total cost at somewhere around $2 billion. Alcatraz, which opened as a federal penitentiary in 1934, was once considered among the most secure prisons in the United States due to its isolated island location and the strong currents surrounding it. It held a relatively small number of prisoners, including high-profile inmates such as Al Capone.
The island fortress entered American cultural lore after a 1962 escape by three inmates, which became an inspiration for the film “Escape from Alcatraz” starring Clint Eastwood. It was closed in 1963 after officials determined it was too costly to maintain. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, operating expenses were nearly three times higher than at other federal facilities, largely because all supplies — including fresh water — had to be transported to the island.
Since the early 1970s, Alcatraz has been managed by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and has become one of San Francisco’s most popular tourist attractions, drawing more than a million visitors annually. The White House argues that rebuilding the site would help modernize the federal prison system and expand capacity for high-risk inmates.
But critics have questioned both the practicality and cost of the plan, noting that the island’s infrastructure would likely require extensive reconstruction. Feasibility studies have already been conducted by federal agencies to assess whether a modern correctional facility could be established on the site, though no final decision has been made. Any move to proceed could face political resistance given competing budget priorities and the site’s current status as a major tourism and historical landmark.
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