President Donald Trump says he wants to turn Alcatraz Island — a museum and tourist destination for decades — back into a federal prison.
“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,” he wrote on Truth Social. “No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets.”
Created in 1934, the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary held some of America’s most famous criminals, such as Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly, until it shut down in 1963 due to high operating costs and structural damage.
Given its remote location and the cold waters around it, escape from the prison was nearly impossible — and Alcatraz gained the reputation of being the highest security lockup in the country.
The premises went through numerous hands after the prison closed, and at one point was occupied by a group of Native Americans by San Francisco. In 1972, the island was handed over to the Department of Interior’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area, with whom it is entrusted today.
While the island has become a major tourist destination over the years, Trump said he sees it as an opportunity to symbolize the nation’s return to “Law, Order, and JUSTICE.”
The announcement comes as Trump battles U.S. courts over circumventing due process to send people in the U.S. to a notorious prison in El Salvador, and after he espoused a desire to incarcerate American citizens in other foreign prisons.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.