Trump’s plan to convert Alcatraz from a global tourist attraction to a federal prison has been met with support as well as stiff resistance.
SAN FRANCISCO—The triple-decker ferry from Pier 33 rushes toward its bleak destination over a mile across the cold, restless waters of San Francisco Bay.
Once a fortress of isolation, the former maximum security prison rises like an ancient Acropolis atop the windswept rock of Alcatraz Island.
The concrete walls seem to hold many secrets, while pelicans and seagulls gather on the empty rooftops and guard towers, making these spaces their own.
The ferry stops at the prison dock, where curious passengers, met by a swarm of black summer flies, hurry to the meeting area.
A National Park Service (NPS) guide prepares to reveal the hidden stories of what was once America’s most infamous prison on this 22-acre island.
Alcatraz, the guide observes, is always breaking down in some way, always in a state of patchwork and repair.
In another time, notorious criminals, including Chicago mob boss Al Capone and Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger, called Alcatraz home.
Repeat, Criminal Offenders
President Donald Trump wants to reopen Alcatraz—a visible symbol of law and order—as a federal prison for the country’s most dangerous criminals.
“Rebuild, and open Alcatraz!” Trump wrote in all caps in a May 4 post on Truth Social.
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… pic.twitter.com/u1jOCMXeW5
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2025
“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,” Trump wrote.
“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 he has asked several government agencies to investigate whether it is possible and affordable to reopen the prison on Alcatraz Island.
The current facility is 960,000 square feet, nearly the size of 17 football fields.
“We can share that, as an agency, we are moving forward, evaluating, and formulating the actions necessary to reopen and operate [U.S. Prison] Alcatraz,” the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) told The Epoch Times in an email.
By Allan Stein
