WASHINGTON: US Presi­dent Donald Trump said on Sunday he had directed officials to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz prison, the notorious federal jail based on a small island in California that closed six decades ago.

“REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!” the Republican wrote on his Truth Social platform. “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 said.

Alcatraz closed in 1963 due to high operating costs after being open for just 29 years, according to the US Bureau of Prisons, and now serves as a tourist attraction.

Located two kilometres off the coast of San Francisco and with a capacity of just 336 prisoners, it held several well-known criminals, including Prohibition-era mob boss Al Capone, and saw many fantastical escape attempts by inmates.

Trump has made cracking down on crime — particularly those committed by migrants — a key element of his second term in the White House. “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. That’s the way it’s supposed to be,” Trump wrote on Sunday.

“No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets,” he said.

The island fortress entered American cultural lore after a 1962 escape by three inmates, notably Frank Morris, which became an inspiration for the film “Escape from Alcatraz” starring Clint Eastwood.

It was closed on March 21, 1963, soon after the escape, because it was three times more expensive to operate than any other federal prison, according to the Bureau of Prisons.

It reopened to the public in 1973 as a tourist site, bringing in more than one million visitors each year.

“It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction,” said former speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who represents San Francisco. “The President’s proposal is not a serious one,” she said on social media platform X.

Trump has vowed to crack down on crime, particularly by migrants, and has invoked the 1798 Enemies Act — previously used only during wartime — to deport those his administration say are criminals and gang members.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2025